ST KILDA remains undefeated in season nine following an eight-point win against Essendon at Windy Hill on Sunday afternoon. 

The Bombers gave away two costly 50 metre penalties resulting in Saints goals, in a fiery contest that saw St Kilda win its third game of the season 3.5 (23) to Essendon's 2.3 (15) in front of a crowd of 3,009.

BOMBERS V SAINTS Full match details and stats

To add insult to injury, the Bombers will likely be sweating on the results of the Match Review Officer, following a high bump from new recruit Maddy Gay on Alice Burke in the final term.

Essendon started strongly, dominating possession and inside 50s, with usual suspects Maddy Prespakis (18 disposals) and Georgia Nanscawen (21) racking up disposals in the middle, but the Bombers’ forwards were unable to turn forward entries into scores on the board.

St Kilda defenders Serene Watson (22 disposals, five rebound 50s), Paige Trudgeon and Bianca Jakobsen stood tall, winning important one-on-ones against their opponents.

Finally, the home side hit the scoreboard when Essendon small forward Lily-Rose Williamson marked on a lead inside 50, kicking her second goal in as many games and the only major for the first quarter.

The second quarter started in sensational fashion when Bombers forward Brooke Walker kicked the goal of the game, a drop punt 30 metres out on the boundary, much to the delight of the red-and-black faithful in the Reynolds Stand.

The Saints kept themselves in the contest when they finally got their first, with Darcy Guttridge getting out the back of a marking contest and running into an open goal.

Guttridge's goal lifted the Saints, with her teammates increasing the pressure around the ball and keeping the margin to a manageable five-points at the main break.

The second half began with a contentious and costly 50 metre penalty against Essendon's Paige Scott, gifting Guttridge her second. Guttridge was taken to the goal line for being pushed over after taking a mark, however it was later seen that a St Kilda player had pushed Scott.

The controversial goal gave the Saints the lead for the first time and they went into the final break with a one-point advantage. 

The final term began with another 50 metre penalty, this time when a Bombers player ran through the protected area, giving Ashleigh Richards a shot from point-blank range and extending the lead to eight points.

In the final minutes the Bombers crowd tried to lift the home side with their voice, but despite their efforts Essendon fell short, with St Kilda holding on for an eight-point win. 

Is Maddy Gay in trouble?
A decision to bump rather than tackle could haunt Essendon defender Maddy Gay, whose high hit on St Kilda's Alice Burke will no doubt be looked at by the Match Review Officer during the week. The Bombers, already missing key personnel in Bonnie Toogood and Emily Gough, will be hoping they don't lose another important member of their team. Gay will be helped by the fact that Burke bounced up from the bump and returned to the game. Watch this space.

St Kilda’s defenders rise to the occasion
In a game where goals were worth their weight in gold, St Kilda's defenders stood up. The Bombers had 10 more inside 50s than their opponents, but were limited in their scoring opportunities due to the outstanding work of the Saints' defenders in Serene Watson, Paige Trudgeon and Bianca Jakobsson. Between the three of them they had 11 rebound 50s, and they kept Sophie Alexander, Jacqui Vogt and Paige Scott goalless.

Up next
Though midweek footy starts this week, both Essendon and St Kilda don't play until next weekend. The Saints will take on Hawthorn at RSEA Park next Saturday, whilst things don't get any easier for the Bombers who will face one of the hardest assignments in the AFLW - Adelaide in Adelaide next Sunday at Thomas Farms Oval.

ESSENDON   1.1   2.1   2.2   2.3 (15)
ST KILDA     0.1   1.2   2.3   3.5 (23)

GOALS
Essendon: Williamson, Walker
St Kilda: Guttridge 2, Richards

BEST
Essendon: Wales, Nanscawen, Prespakis, Gay, Walker
St Kilda: Watson, Guttridge, Smith, Lambert, Richards

INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
St Kilda: Anderson (hamstring)

Crowd: 3,009 at Windy Hill