Port spoil Crows' party

Port Adelaide 14.11 (95) def. Adelaide 11.15 (81)

Port Adelaide has beaten Adelaide in sensational fashion by 14 points after an intense and occasionally heated Showdown in front of a packed-out AAMI stadium on Sunday.

The Power rebounded from five successive Showdown losses to crush their fierce cross-town rivals at a critical time of the season, as the Crows crashed to their fourth loss in five matches.

A significant blow for Adelaide came before the opening bounce when Mark Ricciuto was ruled out due to a hamstring problem.

He was replaced in the side by youngster Chris Knights, but it left the Crows without its two highest goal scorers for the year, in Ricciuto (with 44 goals) and Brett Burton (39), who was also out with a hamstring injury.

A serious knee injury to Trent Hentschel further soured the loss. Nathan Bassett was also taken from the ground on the stretcher with consussion.

Chad Cornes was outstanding for the Power in defence with 28 possessions and 13 marks, and subsequently collected the Showdown Medal, while Brett Ebert presented well in the forward line with three goals from 10 marks

Matthew Bode fought on valiantly for Adelaide up forward with four majors, while Tyson Edwards worked tirelessly around the ground with 31 possessions.

Bode was the first to goal for Adelaide in an entertaining opening term, before Steven Salopek responded for the Power with their only goal for the quarter.

After Scott Welsh marked and converted from 35 metres out to regain the lead, the Crows squandered numerous opportunities, and went into the first break just 18-points ahead.

The first term was one which saw the Crows dominate all over the park, but they were unable to apply sufficient scoreboard pressure to correlate with their overall control, booting 3.8 for the term.

Port Adelaide gained momentum early in the second quarter with goals to Brendan Lade and Ebert before Adelaide fought back through the means of Bode.

The Power continued to press their opposition, taking the lead after goals by Josh Mahoney, Dom Cassis and Shaun Burgoyne.

Though, Adelaide were able to recover their composure with late goals to Nathan Van Berlo and ruckman Matthew Clarke to carry a nine-point lead into the main break.

Edwards and Bode pushed the Crows' lead out to 20 points early in the third stanza.

The game, though, only lifted in intensity - significantly - as Port answered with two goals of their own, before backman Bassett strolled forward to add a settling goal.

By three quarter time, Port Adelaide had grabbed the lead with the last three majors through Greg Bentley, Mahoney and Ebert.

Ebert continued to present early for the Power in the final term, but booted three successive behinds from three marks inside fifty.

But Stuart Dew put the Power's wheels into motion with a soccer goal, which was briskly followed by a critical major by Lade.

Van Berlo did his best to keep the deficit at arm's length, reducing it to only 14 points, but a 50-metre penalty set Dom Cassisi up for the killer.

While Bode clawed back a late goal, Chad Cornes' role in defensive proved super valuable, particularly when supreme pressure was applied in the final term.

Next week will see Port Adelaide trek to Subiaco as they match up with Fremantle in their final game of the year, while Adelaide will be looking to regain some form heading into the finals as they clash with Melbourne at AAMI Stadium.

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