Gold Coast blow it as St Kilda pulls off a miracle

SUNS coach Stuart Dew has been spared the speculation about his future, unlike his St Kilda counterpart, but he faces a week of soul searching after Gold Coast’s stunning capitulation against the Saints.

Jade Gresham celebrates his matchwinning goal. Picture: AAP

IF GOLD Coast’s aim was to prove they deserved a priority pick, they achieved it.

Had there been any other objective on Saturday night they failed it miserably after allowing a wounded St Kilda to claw back a 31-point three-quarter time deficit to claim a thrilling two-point victory in front of a stunned crowd of 10,181 at Metricon Stadium.

Gold Coast failed to score in the final quarter of the shocking 11.14 (80) to 11.12 (78) loss, stretching their run of goalless final terms to four games.

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson, who had been under immense pressure leading into the game after failing to oversee a win since the Round 1 defeat of Brisbane, will have his first decent sleep in three months.

Jack Stevens, Seb Ross and Jack Billings willed their side over the line.

Although first year Suns coach Stuart Dew was spared the speculation about his future Richardson has been under, it was still a high-stakes game for the Suns after non-competitive efforts against Geelong and GWS in recent weeks led to combined losses of 193 points.

He now faces another week of soul searching.

Nick Holman and Jade Gresham get stuck into one another. Picture: AAP

St Kilda was a man down from five minutes into the game after Jimmy Webster went off with a adductor injury and lost another ten minutes into the second half when Bailey Rice was stretchered off after a head clash with Jack Martin

At that stage the Suns held a 32-point lead and it was difficult to make a case for a Saints’ fightback.

They stretched that lead to a game high 39 points late in the third quarter and never scored again.

The visitors had more of the footy and were comfortably in front in contested possession and smashed the Suns at the clearances.

On pure numbers alone it was hard to see how the Suns had built such a commanding lead.

Ben Ainsworth marks on the lead. Picture: AAP

It happened when they kicked six straight goals from Nick Holman’s late in the first quarter to Callum Ah Chee’s midway through the second before the Saints broke the streak through Jade Gresham.

The Saints were dominating the clearances and contested possessions but everything the Suns touched during that period turned to gold.

It was mostly due to their pressure.

At that stage the contrast between last week and last night for Gold Coast was stark.

The pressure may have dropped off a little, but the loss can be attributed to a total lack of composure.

They opened the door for the Saints with panicked errors and they marched in.

GOLD COAST 4.2 9.7 11.12 11.12 (78)

ST KILDA 3.2 4.6 6.11 11.14 (80)

GOALS

Suns: Lynch 3, Sexton 3, Holman 2, Ainsworth, Lemmens, Ah Chee

Saints: Battle 3, Membrey 2, McCartin 2, Gresham 2, Newnes, McKenzie

BEST

Suns: Weller, Sexton, Lynch, Witts, Harbrow

Saints: Steven, Ross, Billings, Battle, Gresham

INJURIES

Suns: Bowes (quad)

Saints: Webster (adductor), Rice (concussion)

Umpires: Haussen, Hosking, Ryan, Pannell

Official crowd: 10,181 at Metricon Stadium

LIVE stream every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on FOX SPORTS. Get your free 2-week trial & start watching in minutes. SIGN UP NOW >

Originally published as Gold Coast blow it as St Kilda pulls off a miracle