Essendon threw away a golden opportunity to knock off Port Adelaide for the first time since 2004, as the Power overran the Bombers in the final term and hold on for a 17.7 (109) to 16.10 (106) victory in the two sides AFL Round 7 clash at Jihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Bombers 12th loss in 13 games against the Power dating back to 2001 sees the Bombers languishing in the lower reaches of the AFL ladder with a 2-5 record, while the Power push for a op 4 spot with a 5-2 record.

Essendon Jobe Watson finished with 31 touches while Angus Monfries had 25 possessions and three goals. Alwyn Davey and Scott Gumbleton also chipped in with three goals each.

Daniel Motlop started the game off for the Power with the first goal for the match within the opening five minutes and saw the Power burst out to an early lead with three of the first four goals of the game. The Bombers however steadied and reduced the margin to five points at the first break with youngster Jake Melksham providing the highlight with his first career goal from a tight angle.

The Bombers kicked the opening three goals of the second term to take a handy 11 point lead. Angus Monfries putting his stamp on the game with a burst of two goals in quick succession. Port Adelaide however hit back with a clutch of goals late in the second term to retake the lead until Gumbleton gave the Bombers a one point at the main break with a soccer goal in the dying seconds of the first half.

Essendon once again jumped Port at the beginning of the second half, with another three goal run to open up the biggest margin of the match. But the trading of clutches of goals contined, this time with the Power responding with three goals in three minutes.
Goals to Mark McVeigh and David Zaharakis saw the Bombers back in front until Port’s Robbie Gray and Danyle Pearce responded immediately. Gumbleton added his third goal for the game and ensured a fifth lead change for the quarter before Alwyn Davey gave the Bombers a 12 point lead heading into the final term.

Power forward Justin Westhoff kicked two goals in the final term and Gray and Motlop also nailed majors as the Bombers ran out of legs. Monfires, with his third for the day got the Bombers back within one point with less than three minutes on the clock. But the Bombers could not find another goal and Port for the fourth time this season picked up the win after trailing at three-quarter time.

“I think everyone’s hurting post that result,” Bomber coach Matthew Knights said after the match.

“I thought the effort was sound … the effort was there, but sometimes we’ve just got to mature as a team when we’ve got the ball and we’ve got the game where we want it. It’s not just one issue – it’s just the maturity of the team when we’re in those situations to really be ruthless and grind the advantage home.”

“Port’s finishing was efficient and brutal … they nailed every opportunity they had,” added Knights. “That was the difference in the end. [Their third-quarter accuracy] kept them around, and full credit to them, they kept their composure and nailed their opportunities.”

Next up for the Bombers is AFL Round 8 and a tough task against St. Kilda.