Blues’ season on edge after last-gasp loss to Saints

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Blues’ season on edge after last-gasp loss to Saints

Carlton’s top-eight hopes rest on the final game of the home-and-away season after a nail-biting two-point loss to St Kilda took the equation out of their hands.

Needing a win to guarantee their top-eight spot, the undermanned Blues were sunk by Jack Higgins’ last-gasp goal in a 11.10 (76) to 11.8 (74) loss at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.

Higgins put the Saints back in front in a pulsating contest when his right-foot snap floated through with 12 seconds left.

The Blues had once last foray forward but Zak Jones smothered Elijah Hollands before Lachlan Cowan’s follow-up kick inside-50 missed his target as the siren sounded.

The result means Carlton need second-placed Port Adelaide to beat Fremantle in Sunday’s last game of the home-and-away season in order to hang onto eighth spot.

The Blues trailed by as much as 20 points in the third quarter but stayed in touch and made all the running in a desperate final term.

Goals to Ashton Moir and Jesse Motlop put them in front before defender-turned-forward Brodie Kemp missed a set shot that could have sealed the match with two minutes left

Saints forward Mattaes Phillipou missed in similar fashion at the other end, seemingly letting Carlton off the *****.

But Higgins struck in the frantic final stages.

Minutes earlier, the pint-sized Saint looked in trouble after a heavy dump tackle from Matt Owies, which resulted in a free-kick to Carlton.

Blues skipper Patrick Cripps (30 disposals, seven clearances) and Sam Walsh (32, nine) were massive for their side but couldn’t haul them over the line.

Blake Acres kicked two goals for Carlton, a tally matched by Mason Wood, Jack Higgins and Tim Membrey for St Kilda.

Nasaiah Wanganeen-Milera (25 disposals) shone for the Saints.

In an ugly side story, goal umpire Steven Piperno was struck in the head by a bottle thrown from the crowd and had to be replaced by emergency Chelsea Roffey during the second term.

It came as St Kilda seemingly had the rub of the green with umpires early, with a 12-1 free-kick count, infuriating Carlton fans.

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