Any win’s a good win over Port

It wasn’t pretty, but Norwood banked an important seven-point win over the old arch rivals Port Adelaide at Coopers Stadium on Friday night.

Celebrating Vice Captain Jack Heard’s 100th game, it was a spectacular night for Anzac Eve football, but the game didn’t live up to any hype, despite the Redlegs managing to overturn an 11-point half time deficit into a 9.14-68 to 9.7-61 win – keeping the Magpies to one goal after the main break.

After a 0-2 start to the season, Norwood has now evened its ledger at 2-2 after wins over South Adelaide, and the winless Port Adelaide, before next week’s road trip to Elizabeth to take on Central District.

Not much went to plan in the first half, as Port had the game on its own terms, running all over the Redlegs to lead 8.4-52 to 6.5-41, and dominate the contest with +27 disposals, +41 marks, +1 tackles and +8 clearances.

In the end, Norwood worked its way into the game, turning around all the major metrics (finishing with +15 disposals, +1 tackles and +4 clearances), and kicking 12 scoring shots to four in the second half. The only letdown was the finishing in front of goal, 3.9 to 1.3, which left the door open until the final siren.

The final term was a scrap, that emulated last season’s Round 19 clash between the two sides, with just one goal kicked. This time it was the Magpies who managed the singular major at the 15-minute mark, while Norwood battled away with 0.5. But, the home side managed to hold on.

The Magpies looked on from the first minute of the contest, with Xavier Walsh kicking the opener in the first 100 seconds.

The ball was constantly in motion in a free-flowing, high scoring, low-tackle first quarter, which was suiting the slick Magpies down to the ground.

Port ended the first quarter leading a nine-goal first term, 5.3-33 to 4.1-25, and leaving Norwood on the back foot.

The concerning aspect for the Redlegs, was Port scoring eight times from 11 inside 50m. The Redlegs meanwhile scored five times from 16 entries.

After the Magpies hot start, the Redlegs seemingly quelled their momentum with the next three goals through Tristan Binder, Ben Simpson and Matt Harms to take an 11-point lead.

The Magpies fired back with the next four unanswered goals to lead by a match high 14 points early in the second term, 6.3-39 to 4.1-25.

Aaron Francis had eight disposals in the first 15 minutes, and 12 for the first quarter, but Norwood needed to fire up and get the game played on its own terms.

Binder’s second was a nerve settler for the Redlegs, a lovely set shot to bring it back to eight points and it seemed the game had started to change.

Jayden Gale snapped truly to edge the home side back in front, but that lasted less than two minutes before former Redleg Damon Pitt marked and goaled in the Magpies goalsquare.

Kyan Smith added another Magpies goal before half time, to leave Norwood with a lot of work to do after half time, trailing 8.4-52 to 6.5-41.

There may have been a bit of soul searching happening in the Redlegs rooms at half time, trailing by 11 points, but also every key statistic pointing the Magpies way. Norwood had +9 inside 50m, but had struggled to find targets in threatening spots.

Magpie Will Lorenz had 22 disposals to half time. Francis had 16 disposals (just four in the second term), and nine marks, while Nik Rokahr had 14 touches.

It was again a flat start to the third term from the Redlegs, and Port let them off the chain with three gettable chances in front of goal.

Kade Dittmar made them pay with the first goal of the second half, a set shot from a free kick, to get Norwood going.

A late hit on Finn Heard after a marking contest seemed to spur the Redlegs on, as the inside 50m led to a Captain’s goal from Jacob Kennerley to make it just one point.

After a quiet first half on return from a hand injury, Jackson Callow was a huge force in the third term, but could only return two behinds, and another shot which didn’t score.

It was enough to return Norwood to the lead, which again should have been brief, if it weren’t for Pitt incredibly missing a set shot from inside the goalsquare at the other end.

Pitt’s miss was the costly one, as the Redlegs went down the other end to boot a third goal for the quarter through Connor Ling. Ling made it a handy eight-point lead at the final break, 9.9-63 to 8.7-55.

Norwood’s goal kicking issues continued into the fourth term, as chance after chance went begging, but the Redlegs led by 12 points with 10 minutes remaining.

Infuriating for Norwood fans, the ball belonged in the Redlegs forward half for four behinds, it was Port that got the first (and only) goal of the final term, 15 minutes in, to make it a six-point margin and scary final few minutes.

The Redlegs managed to hang on and bank the win.

Lorenz finished with 40 disposals for Port, while Rokahr had 35, Francis 25 and Baynen Lowe 24 for the Redlegs,

Norwood 4.1, 6.5, 9.9, 9.14 – 68

Port Adelaide 5.3, 8.4, 8.7, 9.7 – 61

Goals: Binder 2, Dittmar, Gale, Harms, Kennerley, C Ling, Lowe, Simpson