PORT Melbourne is through to the VFLW Preliminary Final after a nerve-wracking one point win over Carlton in yesterday\u2019s Semi Final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It truly was a match of two halves as the Borough fought back from a poor first half showing to really take control in the second half while also fighting off a determined Carlton side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carlton was quick out of the blocks in the opening term, with Christina Bernardi<\/a> kicking the first goal of the game inside the first minute of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The heroes for the Blues from last week in Bernardi and Amelia Klingbeil<\/a> were lively early as the ball lived in Carlton\u2019s forward half for much of the opening half of the term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite dominating the territory game Carlton struggled to get many shots away due to the congested nature of the play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bernardi\u2019s goal proved to ultimately be the only one of the term, as Carlton took a nine point lead into the first change and managed to keep Port Melbourne scoreless in the first quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Port Melbourne certainly had its chances inside 50 early in the second term, but as the tackle from Gena Lawson-Tavan<\/a> on Chanelle Slater<\/a> represented, they were unable to make the most of their chances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carlton for its part were unable to truly make the Borough pay though with inaccurate kicking in front of goal really hurting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Blues however were getting a lot of numbers to the ball all over the ground which really made life tough for the home side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scoring however dried up as the ball spent much of the middle part of the quarter between the arcs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Port Melbourne did finally hit the scoreboard in the final few minutes of the quarter thanks to a Georgia Alomes<\/a> snap, and suddenly some life seemed to have been injected into Port Melbourne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Alomes\u2019 goal, Port Melbourne was only four points down at half time and the Borough certainly had the ascendency at the major break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The third quarter was certainly one of seesawing momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Port Melbourne got off to the perfect start in the third term with a second goal to Alomes, and the comeback took the next step as the Borough took the lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It took a few minutes, but Carlton did counter with a goal of its own from Eliza Wood<\/a>, and the lead was back in Carlton\u2019s hands and the match was far from decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The momentum continued to seesaw and after Courteney Bromage kicked a goal Port retook the lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emily Hurley<\/a> then countered with a goal of her own for Carlton and with a few minutes left the lead was back to Carlton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end Carlton\u2019s lead was a mere single point at three quarter time, and it truly was all to play for in the last term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was Port who got the forward 50 time quickly in the last term, and with two early behinds Port retook the lead inside the opening four minutes of the term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Port Melbourne\u2019s defensive pressure across the ground really lifted in the last term which left Carlton really on the back foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After plenty of peppering of their goals, Port finally got the first goal of the final term thanks to Isabella Stutt<\/a>, and Port were really starting to cement their control of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carlton finally got the ball out of its defensive 50 and with a goal to Klingbeil the margin was back down to only two points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n