Port Adelaide SANFL coach Tyson Goldsack said he is frustrated his side wasn’t able to carry its momentum into the final quarter of its 17-point loss to Glenelg on Good Friday.

After trailing by as much as 20 points in the second quarter, the Magpies clawed their way level at the final change and even led early in the last term before falling away to lost 7.11 (53) to 10.10 (70).

The result meant Goldsack’s side remains winless after two games.

“The third was our best quarter for the day,” he said. “Our ground ball was really strong, we strangled them for momentum and got some our way.

“There’s frustration (about losing). We are here to win and when we get that close at three-quarter-time with momentum, you hope to get a bit more of a run on.

“We loosened the grip for the first five or six minutes of the last quarter and gave them the momentum they needed and good sides like that don’t let you back in.”

The Magpies got off to the perfect start as Francis Evans weaved through a few Glenelg defenders to kick his side’s first a mere 26 seconds into the game.

Mitch Georgiades made it two in-a-row to start the game as he crumbed his own contest to snap it home.

The tide then turned in favour of the hosts, with the ball situated in their half for most of the second part of the quarter.

Twin towers Liam McBean and Lachie Hosie hit the scoreboard for the hosts as the Tigers led by a point at the first change.

Francis Evans was finding plenty of the ball for Port Adelaide with nine touches, and Jase Burgoyne was busy off half-back with eight.

The Tigers then threw the gauntlet down to the Magpies, threatening to break the game open as Hosie dominated the scoring to take his tally to five majors by the main break.

Port would slow Glenelg’s momentum down but was unable to do any damage on the scoreboard as the Tigers took an 18-point advantage into half time.

Goldsack said he and his team assessed what could be done in the third term and he was pleased with the response.

“We wanted to focus on what we did well and what we didn’t do well, and doing the things that worked for us last week a little bit better and longer,” he said.

“We spoke about what parts of the ground we want to own and what parts we want them to own - they clearly like to use the corridor so if we can take that away, it takes away a big weapon of theirs.

“We did get ownership there, our half-forwards got dangerous and really tightened the game up there for the third.”

The Magpies battled manfully to peg back the margin. Riley Bonner kicked the first goal of the third quarter into an open goal after some slick groundwork allowed Jed Hagan get the ball inside 50 and give him the opportunity.

Hagan again turned provider for Dante Visentini as the Magpies made it back-to-back goals for the first time since the opening quarter.

The black and white wave was relentless, and the pressure was proving too much for the Tigers early in the third as Francis Evans marked on the edge of the 50 and selflessly centred the ball to allow Georgiades to mark, go back and put it home to level the scores.

The Magpies did hit the front, albeit with a minor score through Tom Scully and with each side missing opportunities scores were locked away at the final break.

Young backmen Jake Pasini and Tom McCallum made numerous defensive efforts to prevent certain Tigers scores but when Hosie converted his sixth and McBean his third, then Luke Reynolds goaled, the margin was suddenly 24-points.

Georgiades slotted his third with a dribbler as consolation for the Magpies but it was all too late.

A trial game against an AFL Under 18 Academy outfit at Mt Barker awaits Goldsack’s side next week during the SANFL’s Gather Round bye before a trip to Unley to face an impressive Sturt on Sunday 23 April.

Scoreboard

Glenelg            3.3       6.6       6.9       10.10    (70)

Port Adelaide   3.2       3.6       6.9       7.11     (53)

Port Adelaide

Goals: Georgiades 3, Bonner, Lord, Visentini, Evans

Best: Hagan, Georgiades, Burgoyne, Dumont, Bonner, Jackson