SANFL 2006 ROUND 18: SOUTH ADELAIDE v WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS

Nine-year drought broken

By JAI BEDNALL

SOUTH Adelaide kept its finals hopes alive while ending a nine-year losing streak at Noarlunga against the Eagles in a stunning 66-point triumph on Sunday.

South's season was on the line against the second-ranked Eagles and the Panthers played like it, performing with an intensity that had been missing since its last home game against Sturt.

The Panthers are beginning to turn Noarlunga Oval into a fortress, having not lost at the ground since a 10-point defeat to Glenelg back in round six.

Coach Robert Pyman said he was pleased with his side's recent form at home - which has seen the Panthers win their last four games by an average of 80 points.

“We've got to aim to make sure this place is inhospitable to the opposition,” he said.

“Not only from a spectator point of view where we've got majority of the crowd. But particularly from a playing point of view where other teams don't like coming up here because they know they're in for a torrid affair.”

South had a number of key contributors on the day but none shone brighter than onballer Josh Thewlis who set the tone early with his attack on the ball and silky skills.

Given the chance to have a run in the midfield after playing the majority of the season at half-back, Thewlis showed the form that saw him play AFL with the Sydney Swans, racking up 29 disposals and kicking two class goals.

Power-listed Alipate Carlile was another stand out, keeping the competition's leading goal-kicker Mark Passador scoreless until late in the final term when the game was all but over.

Others to see plenty of the football were Jarrad Wright (38 disposals), Rhys Archard (34 disposals), Scott McGlone (30 disposals) and Clay Sampson (26 disposals). “There's no doubt, next week's a crunch game, we'll look forward to it,” Pyman said.

South had not beaten the Eagles at Noarlunga since 1997 but after Sunday's victory is just one game out of the top five with a season-defining clash against Norwood this Saturday at Noarlunga.

The good news for South is that it is playing at home, and if it can continue its recent form at Noarlunga the Panthers could still push for a finals berth.

SCORES: South Adelaide 3.4 7.9 12.13 22.15 (147) defeated Woodville-West Torrens 2.1 3.4 6.6 12.9 (81).

BEST: South - Thewlis, Sampson, Wright, Carlile, McGlone, Archard; Eagles - Skipworth, McKenzie, Fiacchi, Jarrad, Colville, Pedler.

GOALS: South - Davey 3, Warren 3, Iljcesen 3, Kenna 2, Twomey 2, Cupido 2, Thewlis 2, Parry, Sampson, Wright, Archard, Clarke; Eagles - Symmons 3, Grocke, Cicolella, Fiacchi, Skipworth, Rugolo, Passador, Inkster, Jacobs, Jarrad.