Power crush desperate Bombers

Port Adelaide 20. 9 (129) def. Essendon 9.15 (69)

Port Adelaide has snapped their four-game losing streak with a solid 60-point victory over Essendon at the Telstra Dome this evening.

Although the Power were matched-up against the current cellar dwellers of the competition, the result will provide enormous confidence for the entire squad, particularly after the team went through perhaps their worst month of football in over five years.

On the back of two heavy losses at home, Port Adelaide showed grit, fight and determination throughout the night, increasing their lead at every change, including a seven-goal to three opening quarter, to run out comfortable 20.9 (129) to 9.15 (69) winners.

While Kevin Sheedy celebrated his 600th game as Bomber coach, the result won't sit well, particularly at the pace his team was carved up at, and their inability to fight back.

The result leaves Sheedy's chargers perched at the foot of the table with a 1-8 record this season, while the losing steak of eight is the greatest he's ever experienced as a coach.

The Power slip into 13th on the back of their eighth win in the last nine games against Essendon, moving to 3-6 after suffering four successive losses by an average of almost 10 goals.

Port Adelaide captain Warren Tredrea, who had only booted six majors in five matches entering the game, returned to form with four goals, while Damon White provided a strong target up forward with three goals in what was the Power's first true four-quarter performance of the season.

With the usual midfield brigade of Kane Cornes (33 possession) and Shaun Burgoyne (28) dominating out of the centre and in contested situations, the younger group of players were impressive, particularly Danyle Pearce, Steven Salopek and Brad Symes, who amassed over 80 touches between them.

Pearce, in particular, gathered a career-high 29 possessions, propelled the ball inside 50 on 11 occasions and booted a goal in what was his finest performance at the club, surprising his opponents with his outstanding pace and agility.

Further boosting the mentality in the squad was that the result was achieved without the Power's two major play-makers in Peter Burgoyne and Chad Cornes, who missed the match through injury.

Essendon's winners were few and far between, but Jobe Watson toiled hard all evening with 24 touches and 10 clearances, while Nathan Lovett-Murray and Mark McVeigh were serviceable in the midfield.

Scott Lucas booted three goals to keep his side at arm's length until 10 minutes into the third quarter, but he had no support and ultimately went unsighted for the remainder of the second half.

The start was imperative and both squads came out firing, but it was the Power who struck first blood, slamming on the first two goals, including a long-range major by Burgoyne.

Brent Stanton slotted the Bombers' first after 12 minutes, before the visitors opened up a four-goal buffer with the next three majors.

Lucas and Kepler Bradley fought back in the forward line with two quick goals, but White threaded the needle on the siren to hand the Power a 19-point quarter time lead in their best opening term for the year.

The gas was turned down in the second stanza in terms of scoring, but the pressure reached boiling point as both sides slogged it out in what was developing into a torridly aggressive affair.

Lucas threaded the first major of the term after 14 minutes, but the dominance in the centre by Port eventually reaped the rewards - Cornes and Burgoyne were the cornerstones - as Nathan Lonie and Toby Thurstans slotted goals to ensure their team held a comfortable 26-point half team lead.

By the 10th-minute of the third quarter, Essendon were still plugging away, with the buffer hovering around the 20-point region, but the match was being played on the Power's terms, who didn't let their lead fall below three goals.

Although the home team snagged two of the first three goals of the quarter, it was the Tredrea show that took over, with the powerful forward banging on three goals for the term as the Power slammed on six majors to three to extend their lead to a match-winning 47 at the last change.

Emulating their start to the third quarter, Essendon threaded two of the first three goals of the final quarter, but that was all she wrote as the visitors, who had dominated around the park for the entire evening, capped off the night with the final four goals.

Next week, Port Adelaide return back to Melbourne for a Sunday clash against Carlton, while the Bombers' assignment doesn't get any easier as they travel to AAMI Stadium to clash with Adelaide.

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