By Michael Whiting
GOLD Coast is still searching for its first win of the season after coughing up a seven-goal third term to Port Adelaide on the way to a 48-point loss at Metricon Stadium.
The Power led by one point at half-time, but put the contest away in the third quarter, kicking 7.7 to 0.2.
The onslaught included a burst of five goals in six minutes as Port Adelaide won 17.16 (118) to 10.10 (70).
It was Port's third win of the season, erasing memories of last year's upset loss against the Suns, and spoiling Gold Coast's first anniversary celebrations of Metricon Stadium in the process.
It was the first time the Power have won back-to-back games since they defeated Melbourne and Richmond in the final two rounds of 2010.
"I thought we came out a bit lazy in the first 10 minutes ... and then we were able to wrest back control of the game," Port coach Matthew Primus said after the win.
"Our third quarter - probably everything we judge ourselves on: our contested stuff, our structure around stoppages - was beautiful and we are able to generate a lot of our forward play out of that."
Port had to survive a small fourth quarter scare as the Suns kicked three goals early to reduce the margin from 48 points to 30.
But the damage was done in the third term, when Matthew Broadbent, Kane Cornes, John McCarthy and Danyle Pearce all kicked goals home from outside the 50m arc.
The Power went inside 50 a staggering 22 times to 11 in the quarter. Gold Coast lost its run, its ambition and effectively the contest in a withering 15-minute burst.
Pearce was sublime for the victors, breaking the tag of persistent Joel Wilkinson to finish with 28 quality disposals.
He had plenty of running mates who benefitted from the ruck work of Brent Renouf, including Travis Boak (28 disposals and three goals) and Brad Ebert (29).
Cornes did a stellar job on Suns captain Gary Ablett, restricting the Brownlow medallist to 24 touches and gathering the same number himself.
It was a poor result for the Suns, just 24 hours after extending the contract of coach Guy McKenna for two years.
McKenna said the third quarter capitulation was indicative of where his team was at.
"Another three quarter effort, but that's probably where we're at, at the moment," he said.
"We squared the last quarter, but (conceding) 7.7 in the third quarter is obviously unacceptable.
"We've got to keep demanding and coaching the boys out of that."
Gold Coast kicked the first two goals of the match but trailed by 11 points at the first change after butchering a number of simple opportunities.
Ablett's grubber from 15m hit the post, as did Kyal Horsley's long bomb from 50m, while Josh Caddy inexplicably missed everything from 20m out.
The teams traded goals in the second quarter - won by the Suns for the sixth time this season - as two of Gold Coast's best players, Sam Day and Andrew McQualter, kicked two each.
PORT ADELAIDE 4.4 7.7 14.14 17.16 (118)
GOLD COAST 2.5 7.6 7.8 10.10 (70)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Boak 3, Broadbent 2, Brad Ebert 2, Brett Ebert 2, McCarthy, Pearce, Schulz, D.Stewart, Trengove, Westhoff
Gold Coast: Day 3, McQualter 2, Ablett, Brown, Horsley, Rischitelli, Sexton
BEST
Port Adelaide: Boak, Pearce, Cornes, Brad Ebert, Broadbent, Renouf
Gold Coast: Day, McQualter, Lynch, Stanley, Iles
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Gold Coast: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Paul Stewart replaced Daniel Stewart in the third quarter
Gold Coast: Alik Magin replaced Karmichael Hunt in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Foot, Jeffery, Mollison
Official crowd: 12,416 at Metricon Stadium
