PORT Adelaide has salvaged something out of its disastrous 2008, tipping bitter cross-town rivals the Adelaide Crows out of the top eight with a hard-fought 12 point win this afternoon at AAMI Stadium.

In a game played in icy conditions, Brett Ebert and Daniel Motlop starred with four goals each for the Power, while Daniel Pearce (three goals, 24 possessions) took out the Showdown Medal for best afield just ahead of his teammates Dom Cassisi (26 touches and a fine shut-down job on Scott Thompson) and Steven Salopek.

The 13.14 (92) to 11.14 (80) victory gives the Power a 13-12 all-time lead in Showdown clashes, and leaves the Crows season tottering after five successive losses.

The only disappointing aspect for the Power was the crowd of 31,662 – more than 5,000 fewer than previous lowest-ever Showdown crowd.

There were all sorts of stats leading into this game.

There were the Showdown stats. Head-to-head: Port 12, Adelaide 12; Showdown ‘formline’: Adelaide had won seven of the previous eight.

There were the current form stats. Port had lost its previous five matches, and seven of its last eight. Adelaide had lost its last four matches.

Then there was the matter of Port’s inability to win at home, with just one win and seven losses at AAMI Stadium in 2008, with six of those losses by two goals or less.

But this game was really about one thing – Adelaide and their finals dreams. After sitting pretty at 8-3 the Crows were set to topple out of the top eight if unsuccessful following weekend wins to the Saints, North and Brisbane, and that itself gave the game an edge.

It may have been just nine degrees when game kicked off, but it was the sort of hot start you expect from a Showdown, the teams swapping two goals apiece in the opening 10 minutes after Simon Goodwin had goaled in the opening 36 seconds.

Port then settled better, their pace worrying the Crows. Goals to Motlop (his second) and a ripper off two steps to Pearce saw the Power out to a handy 15 point lead, with a goal on the run to Scott Stevens keeping Adelaide in touch.

Salopek (12 possessions) was doing all sorts of damage for Port, while Cassisi was keeping Thompson under control and finding plenty of the ball himself, most of it hard, with four clearances for the quarter.

More importantly, with 26 tackles for the term and a 5-0 lead in contested marks, the Power showed they had come to play and took an 11 point lead into the first break.

The second term opened in goal-for-goal style, Goodwin repeating his fast-start trick with one in first minute, while Pearce then repeated his first quarter effort, but this time snapping off one step after receiving from Cassisi. A goal to Tyson Edwards from his first kick – with Tom Logan doing a fine tagging job on the Crows veteran – was soon matched by a second to Ebert.

From there though, Adelaide started to apply some pressure.

Seven successive behinds followed to the Crows in a seven minute period, as Port could not seem to clear the ball from their defensive half. Michael Doughty, Chris Knights and Nathan Bock continued to find plenty of ball for Adelaide, and when Bernie Vince finally marked and goaled after 25 minutes, the Crows had snatched the lead for the first time.

The hard ball gets numbers for the quarter reflected the respective work rates for the second part of the quarter, with Adelaide taking the win 14-8. Port had to turn that around to win.

Goodwin – who else – kicked the opening goal of the third term, this time after nine minutes, but Motlop soon replied.

The game then became a war of attrition, with goals at a premium. Just as Adelaide had in the second term Port worked harder to get on top, but this time it was their turn to be inaccurate, with four successive behinds before Nathan Lonie finally broke the ice after 25 minutes with a bomb from 40 metres. When Ebert grabbed a great contested mark after the ball was pumped in long by Pearce in the closing seconds Port had suddenly motored to a 14 point lead.

That became 20 points when Motlop seized on a Graham Johncock turnover early in the final term.

But the Crows weren’t about to say die. A long goal from Stevens was followed by another to Vince, and the margin was back to just seven points, with Power fans having awful flashbacks of so many games this season.

Justin Westhoff calmed the fans nerves with a play-of-the day goal involving a clever give-and-go from Motlop, and when Pearce goaled on the run moments later it was effectively game over, Ebert icing the cake with his fourth.

Port now hosts Fremantle next Sunday afternoon, while the Crows must travel to Sydney to meet the Swans.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.

MATCH DETAILS

PORT ADELAIDE  4.5  6.6  9.13  13.14 (92)
ADELAIDE       3.0  6.8  7.11  11.14 (80)

GOALS:
Port Adelaide: D Motlop 4 B Ebert 4 D Pearce 3 N Lonie J Westhoff.
Adelaide: S Goodwin 3 S Stevens 2 B Vince 2 M Doughty 2 K Tippett T Edwards.

BEST:
Port Adelaide: S Salopek D Cassisi D Motlop S Burgoyne D Pearce B Ebert K Cornes.
Adelaide: M Doughty C Knights N Bassett B Symes.

Injuries:
Port Adelaide: Nil
Adelaide: N Bassett (wrist), C Knights (blurred vision)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: L Farmer S McLaren J Schmitt.

Official crowd: 31,662 at AAMI Stadium