Out Of The Woods With Gutsy Victory

The Sunday Age

Sunday August 10, 2008

By Martin Boulton

COLLINGWOOD put "a torrid week" behind it to secure a desperately needed win against St Kilda last night, blooded two new players in the process, and jumped from eighth to sixth on the ladder.

Coach Mick Malthouse said the embattled club had "learned a lot about people, some good and some bad" during the week and was pleased with his side's enthusiasm and desire following the hard-fought 14-point win.

"The consequences of the victory mean we're back level with St Kilda (on points) and got our nose in front with percentage, so we've just got to keep the foot on the accelerator and approach next week's game (against Port Adelaide) with the same intensity as this one," he said.

With suspended players Heath Shaw and Alan Didak looking on from the coach's box, two debutants in 20-year-old Chris Dawes and 18-year-old John McCarthy helped - as Malthouse suggested during the week - to galvanise the side.

Facing a dramatic slide out of the top eight with a loss, the Magpies started full of run and left the Saints' key playmakers looking flat-footed.

Dawes goaled with his first kick to give Collingwood an early fillip and when Dane Swan booted consecutive goals the warning bells started chiming for the Saints.

"It was really important that we went about our business and really pleasing we were so focused," Dawes said. "Personally, I was a bit nervous leading in, but once I got used to the tempo of the game it was business as usual.

"With the off-field stuff, it was so important we won for everybody involved with the club, including the supporters."

Travis Cloke had a chance to stretch the lead to four goals late in the first term, but missed and the Saints responded with a goal through Justin Koschitzke.

Three days after announcing he would retire at season's end, Robert Harvey desperately tried to haul his deflated side over the line, but had few willing helpers in the first half.

Skipper Nick Riewoldt kicked one goal before he was forced off the ground with split webbing in his right hand midway through the second quarter. He returned in the second half with three stitches in his hand and is expected to be available for next weekend's game against Fremantle in Subiaco.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was deflated after the loss and said his side had to improve in several facets, including a badly malfunctioning forward structure.

"Bitterly disappointed in what was a really important game," he said. "We (now) get to galvanise . . . we need to excite ourselves into action."

Lyon said his players provided "too little, too late" and Collingwood played with greater desperation after a week of off-field turmoil.

Collingwood captain Scott Burns said the team was able to quickly focus on the game after last week's suspension headlines. "We knew we had the game coming up and that was our priority," Burns said.

Pies hang tough SPORT 6,7

© 2008 The Sunday Age

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