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Port Adelaide looked beaten until Robbie Gray stepped up after the final siren to kick the match-winning goal in their AFL triumph over Carlton on Sunday.
Port Adelaide star Robbie Gray's kick after the siren secured a stunning three-point win for the AFL ladder leaders over Carlton on Sunday.
Gray marked 40m from goal near the Gabba boundary line in the dying seconds and calmly slotted his set shot to secure the 9.10 (64) to 9.7 (61) victory.
His intervention got the Power out of jail after a series of late misses looked like they would prove costly in an entertaining contest.
Charlie Dixon, Todd Marshall and Gray all sprayed shots at goal until the latter stepped up to produce the goods.
"I knew there wasn't long left and I'd missed one a couple of minutes earlier from a similar spot (but) I was still reasonably confident going back," Gray told Fox Footy.
"I just focused on my routine and making good contact with the ball and luckily it went through.
"We blew a lot of opportunities right at the end there, and pretty simple ones, so that was disappointing. But to get away with the four points is really important."
Dixon gave Carlton defender Liam Jones trouble all day as Port's main target in attack but was wasteful in kicking 3.4 for the match.
The power forward missed a set shot from point-blank range with five minutes to play that would have tied the scores and was sent off under the blood rule immediately after his kick.
Dixon sat frustrated on the bench as the final few minutes played out.
"Rob (Gray) saved my a*** there with the amount of goals I missed today," he told Fox Footy.
The result came at a cost as Ryan Burton (quadriceps) and Daniel Motlop (ankle) failed to see out the match because of injuries suffered early in the final quarter.
Travis Boak and Darcy Byrne-Jones starred through the middle and ruckman Peter Ladhams was busy around the ground in a competitive battle with Marc Pittonet.
Harry McKay kicked three goals for the second straight week in another strong showing for Carlton, and Jacob Weitering was a rock in defence.
Young gun Sam Walsh also impressed with 16 disposals and two goals, as well as taking a courageous mark going back with the flight in defence.
Port kicked three goals from four forward entries in a scintillating early burst before Betts' big pack mark helped ignite the Blues, who kicked the next four majors from four entries to hit the front.
Carlton were at their most dangerous on the rebound when they were able to move the ball at speed.
It was a close battle from then on and both sides had chances to win until Gray's moment of magic settled the contest.
