Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge believes his side let a golden opportunity slip in its 13-point loss to Port Adelaide on Monday night.
The Dogs put in a strong performance against the competition frontrunners which was worthy of the four points, a marked improvement from the disappointing outing against Richmond last Wednesday.
However, a third quarter dominated by the Power was the difference in a low-scoring game, which eventually consigned the Bulldogs to their fifth loss of the 2020 season.
“We had our opportunity tonight. We let one slip,” Beveridge said after the game.
“We had a really lopsided third quarter. Other than that, I felt like we had the game on our terms.
“There were a couple of blatant turnovers we could have controlled or made better use of the football. Those couple of times were really outside and open scoring opportunities for us too.
“It only takes one or two individuals just to lose their influence on the game, and we’re vulnerable, and that happened in the third quarter.
“We managed to get that back on our terms back late in the game, which is a good sign.”
Beveridge praised skipper Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae for their efforts late in the game, as well as Mitch Wallis (three goal assists) and Toby McLean (two goals) for their work in the forward half.
The Bulldogs will head back to their Gold Coast hub with a short time to recover before taking on flag fancies Brisbane at the Gabba this Saturday night.
They’ll then have a welcome eight-day break before hosting the Adelaide Crows at Metricon Stadium in Round 12.
