CTV> Mick Malthouse's post match press conference
CTV> Ryan Cook's post match interview

COLLINGWOOD has taken another step toward shoring up a finals spot with a 31- point win over a battling Port Adelaide tonight at AAMI Stadium.

The Magpies won 16.10 (106) to 10.15 (75) in front of a crowd of 23,694, setting up a blockbuster match with Sydney next week that will decide which of those clubs has a shot at a top four finish.

Leon Davis was simply sensational for Collingwood, his 28 possession game setting the Pies alight, while Travis Cloke was dominant up forward booting four goals.

The game also featured an engrossing battle between Dane Swan and Kane Cornes, the Port tagger restricting Swan’s normally prolific output to just 15 touches, but the Collingwood ruck-rover (three goals) had a telling effect on the game, in particular in the third quarter when he starred with two goals and a key assist.

The game started in relatively uninspiring fashion, Port taking seven minutes to bag the game’s first goal after Cassisi capitalised on a clever tap from Justin Westhoff.

The Pies didn’t take long to reply, Cloke marking in front of Damon White and steering through from 45m. Josh Fraser then added to the Collingwood tally after getting on the end of a Davis pass, but that was immediately countered by the opportunistic Brett Ebert.

The Magpies dominated the next 10 minutes, with goals to Cloke and Marty Clarke followed by a goal to Dale Thomas which had the home crowd baying thanks to a controversial decision to allow a late advantage after the umpires had called a free kick.

With Collingwood out by 19 points things appeared comfortable, but two Magpie errors then let the Power back into the game.

First Harry O’Brien failed to punch from behind, enabling a chain of Port handballs to result in a Jacob Surjan goal. The second mistake came from Paul Medhurst, who gave away a 50 metre penalty kicking away the ball after a free to Toby Thurstans, who then goaled easily from the square.

Both O’Brien and Medhurst were banished to the bench where they were greeted by an unhappy Mick Malthouse with the quarter time margin back to five points.

The coach’s mood would have been improved none by Ebert goaling again straight after the break, but from that point the visitors took a firm grip on the quarter.

A cool 50 metre set shot to Ryan Cook restored the Collingwood lead, then John Anthony bagged one of the season’s more remarkable six pointers after recovering from being floored by a Sherrin kicked straight into his face.

The Pies' lead grew to 25 points on the back of majors to Nick Maxwell and Swan, but again a Pie error which turned the momentum of the game, this time a deliberate out-of-bounds against 250-gamer Shane Wakelin, which led to a Robbie Gray goal.

Gray then set up another for Thurstans, before creating Matthew Westhoff’s first goal in AFL football. Filling the role of Motlop, Port youngster Gray was making a fair fist of it, along with acting captain Shaun Burgoyne (21 touches for the half) dragging his side back to within seven points at the long break.

The third quarter turned into the Swan show, the Magpie ruck-rover booting two goals for his side and creating a third.

The first Swan effort was a bullocking goal on the run from 50 to open the scoring after nine minutes, before he featured again – this time an error gifting Danyle Pearce a goal for Port.

The recovered Anthony then stepped up to bag his second goal with a magnificent kick into the wind from deep in the pocket, before a long Swan entry set up Cloke to swoop and score his third for the match. Swan then comprehensively outmarked Cornes and goaled from close range to take the Magpies back out to a 22 point lead, before the Port stopper hit back with a goal of his own on the siren

The final quarter started with a piece of magic from Davis, a sizzling, swinging goal on the run from the boundary setting Collingwood back on track, and when John McCarthy swooped and goaled a few minutes later the game was over.

Collingwood now host fellow top-four aspirant Sydney in massive match, before finishing the home-and-away season with a Friday night trip to the in-form Fremantle, while Port hosts Melbourne before finishing its season away against North Melbourne.

Port Adelaide 4.4 8.5 10.12 10.15 (75)
Collingwood 5.3 9.6 13.7 16.10 (106)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Ebert, Thurstans 2, Surjan, Pearce, M Westhoff, Gray, Cassisi, K Cornes
Collingwood: Cloke 4, Swan 3, Anthony 2, Fraser, Thomas, Clarke, Maxwell, Cook, Davis, McCarthy.

BEST
Port Adelaide: S Burgoyne, Cassisi, Lade, Surjan, Boak, Gray
Collingwood: Davis, Swan, Cloke, Maxwell, Clarke, Lockyer, O’Bree

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Motlop (adductor) replaced in selected side by Gray, Brogan (shoulder) replaced in selected side by Thurstans.
Collingwood: Anthony (shoulder/head), Thomas (left knee) -- both returned

Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stevic, McLaren, Wenn
Official crowd: 23,694 at AAMI Stadium