Jack Maher’s first game as Interim Senior Coach ended in defeat as South Adelaide were overrun by a rampaging Bulldogs side, going down by 66 points.

The Panthers made the long trip to Barossa Park in Lyndoch, the game taking part in the THINK! Road Safety SA Country Football Championships over the weekend.

Centrals played with a point to prove, picking up their third win of the season over the past six games.

The teams took time to adjust to the challenging conditions early, with strong winds and a wet surface making ball movement difficult in a hard-fought opening quarter.

A behind from Eamon Wilkinson proved to be South Adelaide's only score of the term, foreshadowing the struggles the Panthers would face in front of goal throughout the evening.

Building on a two-goal start, the Bulldogs would add a further three in the next quarter to kick the first and only five goals of the first half.

A running intercept from Isaac Birt created some play back the Panthers way in the latter stages, but Ben Shillabeer couldn’t convert the first genuine look at goal since the Wilkinson behind.

South Adelaide went into the main break with just two behinds to their name, conceding nine scoring shots to the opposition in the second quarter.

With change needed, play opened up as urgency was placed on getting the ball forward at any cost, which brought about more opportunities.

Six minutes into the third term, it would be last week’s eight-goal marvel Jack Delean to get the Panthers on the board with a goal from a 25-metre penalty.

The Bulldogs hit back, but as the ball spilled clear from the muddy centre, Angus Bradley sent in a floating snap that sailed into the night sky before Delean parked himself under the mark to set up a simple set shot goal.

That proved to be South Adelaide's best patch of the game however, with Centrals regaining control and maintaining the ascendancy for the remainder of the match.

Tye Gander took a mark and had a shot from distance on the three-quarter time siren, but it would fall short.

Finding more ways to score, conversion haunted the Panthers following the two Delean goals, managing six behinds.

In contrast, Centrals continued to apply scoreboard pressure in adding six goals, running out the game comfortable winners. The inside 50 count told the story, with 66-36 well in favour of the Bulldogs.

Harley Sparks led the possession getters with 28 disposals and five rebound 50s.

The midfield group got plenty of the ball around the stop-start action of the contests, Oliver Davis picking up 27 disposals and eleven tackles.

Bradley was busy in the clearance numbers with ten and 26 disposals, while Riley Baldi and Arlo Draper had 25 disposals each.

Captain Oscar Clavarino had the next best with 17 disposals and nine marks, while Will McCarthy stood tall alongside him in defence with seven marks of his own.

South Adelaide will now play host to first-placed Glenelg in Round 15 at Magain Stadium on Sunday, 19^th July at 2:10pm.

For the second week running, South Adelaide won by under a kick over Central District in the SANFL Reserves League at X Convenience Oval, this time getting over the line for an even narrower one-point victory.

The side was bolstered with the returns of Max Clifton, Harvey Lambert and Nich Weightman all from injury.

Playing out similarly to Round 13, the Bulldogs held a lead going into the last quarter but let it slip late for the Panthers to come home with the win.

Unlike the previous meeting, however, the margin never stretched beyond 12 points in a tightly contested, low-scoring affair with heavy rain falling.

Ethan Johnson and Jesse Nye kicked the Panthers first two goals, but the Bulldogs would kick four of the opening six.

Jake Gasper alertly roved the ball at the back of the pack for a highlight in the first half, as he kicked his first goal right on the quarter time siren.

Cohen Shortridge added a brace in the second term as Centrals kicked two goals themselves.

The margin sat at two points following Shortridge’s second goal as the teams came in for half-time.

Goals to Gasper and Callum Bennett, who capitalised after being awarded a 25-metre penalty, eased some of the scoring pressure after the Panthers had registered five straight behinds.

With rain continuing to pour down, both sides managed three behinds in the final term, but Gasper's third goal midway through the quarter would be the decisive moment.

Although South Adelaide left opportunities on the table with fourteen behinds, it would take only one of them to provide the difference in the teams and hand the Panthers the points.

Cody Lowe had a big day in the ruck with 27 disposals, nine clearances, ten inside 50s and 25 hitouts around the stoppages.

Austin Hogg battled away for 22 disposals and four clearances, while Clifton made a strong return with 17 disposals and eight marks in the wet.

Gasper kicked the winning goal and had three for the game, while Shortridge chipped in with two.

The win sets the stage for a top-of-the-table clash with Glenelg in Round 15, as the Panthers host the Tigers at Magain Stadium on Sunday, 19^th July from 11:30am.