Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says the Power can’t afford to waste good starts

PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley likened it to the one that got away after the Power failed to cash in on a top first quarter against Hawthorn in Launceston on Saturday. What’s next for the Power?

Port Adelaide players, led by Robbie Gray, tried to fight against the Hawks. Picture: AAP Images

PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley likened it to the one that got away after the Power failed to cash in on a top first quarter against Hawthorn in Launceston on Saturday.

The Power had played perfectly to plan in the first quarter, disrupting Hawthorn’s possession style with good pressure and making the most of the turnovers it created.

It went into the first break with a four-goal lead with Robbie Gray threatening to have another day out only to let Hawthorn back into the match and control the ball – and kick six of the next seven goals.

GAME RECAP: HOW THE HAWKS, POWER PLAYED OUT

GAME STATS: SEE ALL STATS AND SUPERCOACH SCORES

The final margin was just three points as the Power ran out of time.

“It was an ugly game, I thought,” Hinkley said.

“It wasn’t a great spectacle for anyone, I wouldn’t have thought, from a football point of view.

“I’m sure Hawthorn would be pleased because they got the four points but I don’t think they’d be pleased about too much else – like us.

Disappointed Port Adelaide players leave the field on Saturday. Picture: AAP Images

“We let it slip. We had the game where we wanted it to be played and to Hawthorn’s credit they were able to find their way back into it. (Tom) Mitchell found a bit of the ball, we gave away some really poor free kicks, we gave away some 50s which gives them a bit of momentum.

“When you break momentum, that’s what happens.

“I think there was a bit of (bad) discipline, some execution with our skill (was off).

“And they were able to maintain the ball the way they like to play and we knew the way they like to play. But today, in the second half in particular, we couldn’t stop that.”

Hinkley could see some upside in the way the Power defended – and the ball spent a considerable amount of time in the Hawks’ forward half.

But he was frustrated with the fact that Paddy Ryder played such a fine game but that Port failed to cash in on it.

“We were able to defend OK against them, but we couldn’t hurt them on the scoreboard.

“That’s not our way of playing.

“We’d like to score more freely than that.

“Some of that is our fault; some of it is their execution.

“We dominated stoppages, had a significant victory in stoppages and we weren’t able to score from it.”

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