Don Pyke says Adelaide did a lot right but laments the Crows inaccuracy in front of goal

ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke knows his top-ranked Crows are getting closer to their nemesis in Sydney after a heart-breaking loss at Adelaide Oval.

Daniel Talia after the loss to Sydney. Picture: Sarah Reed

ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke is working through a bittersweet three-point loss to Sydney knowing his top-ranked Crows are getting closer to their nemesis in Sydney.

“We did a lot right – but did not get the result,” Pyke said after a defeat that cost Adelaide little in the race to next month’s finals.

The Crows will still finish first or second – regardless of the result against West Coast on Sunday in the AFL closer to Subiaco Oval in Perth – and still have two home finals at Adelaide Oval next month.

MATCH REPORT: SWANS STEAL CROWS’ FLAG FAVOURITISM

RUCCI ANALYSIS: STILL PLENTY TO CROW ABOUT FOR ADELAIDE

There may be the need to keep key defender Daniel Talia at home after he – as the Crows put it – “tweaked” an ankle in the third term at the Oval. The chance to put Talia in cotton wool will be made easier by fellow defenders Kyle Hartigan and Kyle Cheney returning from injury and suspension in the SANFL this week.

Adelaide overcame a poor start and a 29-point deficit early in the third term to dominate the Swans in key categories. The Crows won the contested-ball count – a key pointer in recent Adelaide-Sydney games – by 21 (186-165) and inside-50s by 21 (63-42).

But the Crows paid dearly for inaccurate goalkicking – 3.5 in the critical third term and 6.9 in the second half.

Adelaide players walk off Adelaide Oval after the loss to Sydney. Picture: Sarah Reed

“We had fair control … but we did not hit the scoreboard,” Pyke said after the Crows finished with 11.14 compared with the Swans’ 13.5.

Pyke noted the poor start was from his players over-using the ball while falling under the intense pressure placed by the Swans.

Pyke did pay dearly for putting five-game defender Alex Keath on Swans power forward Lance Franklin, who kicked two goals in Sydney’s five-goal start. This match-up was changed to Talia after 20 minutes.

Pyke explained he felt Keath was the better option to follow Franklin when he played closer to the centre square than the goalsquare.

“We changed that quickly – the closer Franklin was to goal, the more comfortable we were with Talia (as the match-up),” Pyke said.

Daniel Talia is helped off with an ankle injury. Picture: Sarah Reed

Pyke again has resisted endorsing “resting” players against the Eagles saying the Crows will be playing to beat West Coast – and “to keep building good habits”.

Sydney coach John Longmire did not enter a public debate on the 28-14 free-kick count that favoured the Crows. And he made it clear the AFL coaches have been told by the league executives to not pass public comment on umpiring.

“What’s the point of talking about it? It’s been made clear by the AFL during the week that we are not to comment on the umpires,” Longmire said.

Longmire noted the Swans did the “right things at the right time”.

“We certainly got the first quarter right,” said Longmire of the five-goal opening made by Sydney.

[e-mail]

Originally published as Don Pyke says Adelaide did a lot right but laments the Crows inaccuracy in front of goal