A six-goal opening quarter wasn’t enough for South Adelaide to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season, with Central District grinding out a 28-point victory at Magain Stadium.

South couldn’t have started brighter, with Tom Wheaton receiving a handball after a desperate spoil forward of the wing, before slotting the game’s opening goal within the first 30 seconds.

Despite the fast start, the Dogs were more than up for the challenge, quickly responding through spearhead Aidan Grace, who made no mistake from a tight angle to level the scores.

Around the contest, many of South’s key ball winners got busy early, with Oliver Davis collecting multiple clearances to drive his side forward.

Central District hit the lead for the first time through Finn Reed, but it didn’t last long. Olivier Northam pulled down a strong one-handed mark and launched a long-range bomb from 55 metres out to swing momentum back South’s way.

Elliot Dunkin was proving dangerous off half-back, using his burst of speed and precise foot skills to launch attacking plays following defensive turnovers.

Both sides had opportunities to take control. Central District recorded the next three scoring shots — one goal and two behinds — before South finished the term with a flurry.

The Panthers turned a nine-point deficit into a 16-point quarter-time lead after goals to Emmanuel Ajang, Luke Bogle, and a double from skipper Sam Skinner.

The four-goal blitz to end the term gave South a strong platform, but Central District weren’t done yet.

Two quick goals from the Dogs to start the second quarter cut the margin to just four points, putting the Panthers under scoreboard pressure.

Oscar Clavarino stood tall in defence, using his height and positioning to outmark high-flying forwards and break even in aerial contests.

The ruck battle was evenly matched, with both big men having their moments. Northam’s ability to act as an extra midfielder proved valuable, with the ruckman leading the game in clearances.

South came close to extending their lead, with Ajang and Skinner narrowly missing quick snaps under pressure.

Angus Bradley and Callum McCarty were influential around the stoppages, helping to find outside runners like Isaac Birt and Charlie Duncan.

But Central District flipped the game on its head in a devastating 10-minute burst, piling on six goals to take a 29-point lead into the main break — erasing South Adelaide’s dominant first term.

Needing a strong start to the second half, South nearly found it through Skinner, who grabbed the ball from the ruck and snapped quickly, only for it to register a behind.

Will McCarthy’s intercept mark moments later maintained the pressure on Central, with the ensuing inside 50 leading to a missed dribbling shot from Tye McManus.

Despite creating chances, inaccuracy hurt South early in the third term. Missed set shots from Skinner and Bailey Pilmore meant the Panthers had kicked four straight behinds to open the half.

The Dogs made them pay, slotting the next two goals to stretch their lead to a game-high 38 points.

Davis continued his prolific day, leading all players in disposals and sitting just behind Northam in clearances. His work rate from contest to contest was a standout.

South finally got reward for effort when Tommy Barrett pounced on a bouncing ball, broke free from his opponent, and ran into an open goal to kick his first at League level.

Eamon Wilkinson added another after receiving a handball from the dashing Bradley and converting under pressure, cancelling out an earlier missed snap from Bogle.

At three-quarter time, Central District held a solid 24-point lead.

South had a mountain to climb to pull off an unlikely comeback.

There were early nerves when Grace lined up for a set shot within the first minute, but his effort drifted wide.

The first goal of the final term was crucial, and Damon Freitag delivered, snapping truly from the top of the square to bring the margin back to three goals.

Bogle’s ferocity at the contest and relentless tackling stood out, exemplifying South’s desperation to claw their way back.

Down back, Will Splann and debutant Dayne McGary held up well under pressure, but the Dogs were determined to land the killer blow.

That blow eventually came when Reed slotted his second — a long-range shot from tight on the boundary — to seal the result.

Despite a gallant effort, South Adelaide couldn’t build on their six-goal first quarter, with Central District running out comfortable 28-point winners.

South will aim to bounce back when they face North Adelaide in a regional clash at Port Pirie’s Memorial Oval on Saturday, 12 July, with the first bounce at 2:30pm.

South Adelaide have outlasted a fast-finishing Central District to secure a hard-fought five-point win at Magain Stadium, maintaining their grip on top spot.

The Panthers started strongly, generating multiple inside 50s and putting early pressure on Central’s defenders.

Kaleel Ross had the chance to open the scoring after winning a free kick for a high tackle, but his long-range set shot lacked penetration and was rushed through on the line.

Central District struggled to clear their defensive half. An intercept from Ross triggered another attacking sequence, with Finn Emile-Brennan lacing out Corey Grocock on the lead. However, from a similar position to Ross’ earlier attempt, Grocock was also unable to convert, missing the chance to capitalise on South’s early dominance.

Around the contest, Lachlan Gill continued his excellent season. His ability to win first possession and surge forward helped maintain South’s momentum.

South’s inaccuracy started to become a concern. Minor scores to Ryan Borlace and Cody Lowe took the tally to four behinds without a major.

The breakthrough finally came via slick ball movement through the corridor. Ben Ashley-Cooper released a handball to Lowe, who snapped truly to break the drought.

Moments later, the Panthers extended their lead to 16 points when Cohen Shortridge laid a brilliant run-down tackle in the goal square, sparking further energy in the side.

After 22 goalless minutes, Central District finally responded through Enrique Mazzeo, giving the visitors something to build on heading into the first break.

Grocock had a golden opportunity to respond with a late goal after a 25-metre penalty brought him to within 40 metres straight in front, but once again, he couldn’t convert.

At quarter-time, South Adelaide led by 10 points after dominating general play but wasting opportunities in front of goal.

The Panthers looked to shake off their inaccuracy, and they got the perfect start to the second term when Shortridge slotted his second goal within 90 seconds.

Despite the early major, the quarter developed into a tense, low-scoring arm-wrestle as both sides battled for control.

Tom Gillett was influential in the ruck, winning hit-outs and providing a strong aerial presence around the ground thanks to his impressive work rate.

South’s midfielders benefited from Gillett’s service, with Phoenix Hargrave and Sam Foley gathering possessions and driving the ball forward.

After a 10-minute stalemate, South broke the deadlock with a coast-to-coast transition that ended with Ashley-Cooper finding Grocock, who finally strolled into an open goal.

In defence, Kyle Marshall and Jacob Sheean provided calm heads, while Hayden Kernahan and Emile-Brennan used their foot skills to stretch the Dogs’ defensive structure.

Central responded with a goal to Marcus Barreau — their only major of the quarter — but South hit back through a composed Borlace set shot after the siren to take a 21-point lead into half-time.

The home side’s advantage grew early in the third quarter, with Gill’s strong tackle deep in the pocket earning a holding-the-ball free. Thinking quickly, he squared it to Foley in the goal square, who converted from point-blank range.

While the Dogs responded shortly after, the rest of the quarter was marred by missed chances at both ends. South’s three straight behinds — two from Grocock and one from Ross — halted their chance to break the game open.

A late goal to Central gave them a pulse heading into the final change, with South’s lead trimmed to 16 points.

The first goal of the final quarter was always going to be pivotal, and when Angus Vandenberg nailed his set shot, the deficit was down to just 10 points.

South needed a response, and it came via Lowe, who won a tough ground ball in the ruck and spotted Ethan Johnson on the wing. Johnson’s kick inside 50 led to a stoppage, where Shortridge gathered cleanly, stood strong in a tackle, and snapped truly to restore the 16-point buffer.

The Panthers looked set to seal the result after winning the next centre clearance and finding Grocock deep in the pocket. Despite a frustrating day in front of goal, Grocock had chance to ice the game — but his shot drifted wide for his fifth behind.

The miss gave Central District a lifeline, and they made the most of it, slotting two quick goals to reduce the margin to just five points with three minutes to play.

The Dogs almost completed a stunning comeback when Vandenberg’s long bomb landing dangerously close to the line, only to be rushed through for a behind.

From there, South managed to hold their nerve. Hargrave hacked a clearing kick out of defence, which reached the attacking arc.

Needing to go coast to coast, Central turned the ball over at half-back, allowing Tye Gander to intercept and slot a valuable behind.

With time almost expired, Central had one last chance, but a courageous intercept mark from Marshall in the centre of the ground sealed the deal for South Adelaide.

The Panthers will aim to consolidate top spot when they take on third-placed North Adelaide at Karen Rolton Oval on Friday, 11 July at 6:30pm.