A masterful ruck display from Paddy Ryder and a mammoth 46-disposal haul from Luke Dunstan have stood above the pack in Sandringham’s Round 2 encounter with Port Melbourne.

Dreary weather at ETU Stadium couldn’t slow the duo down in the opening half, with Ryder (32 hit-outs, 18 disposals, one goal) in his return game from personal leave and Dunstan pairing excellently to fire their side to a 23-point lead at the main break.

But despite their impact and the healthy scoreboard advantage, Jake Batchelor’s team dipped out on its maiden win of the season on Saturday afternoon.

Port Melbourne slotted nine of the last 10 goals after half-time to secure the 13.14 (92) to 9.12 (66) result, with a Nick Bufalo major late in the game preventing a goalless second half for the Zebras.

Sandringham burst out of the gates early, deploying a fast-paced style that benefitted AFL-listed forwards Ryder, Paul Hunter (two goals) and Shaun McKernan (two).

The first three majors of the match came from the AFL-listed trio, with the cleanliness of midfielders Dunstan and Ryan Byrnes (25 disposals) further up the field allowing the Zebras to dominate the forward entries in the opening half (18-39).

Byrnes, in his second outing following hamstring surgery, threw himself into the contest to display his class and composure, while Dunstan had the ball on a string all day long.

But cracks started to show as rain set in during the third term, with the Zebras’ lead dissipating as the Borough started to squeeze out their opposition around the contest.

Port Melbourne were able to consistently get a clean break at the ball, allowing them to kick an unanswered four goals in the third term.

Ex-Saint Eli Templeton was one of Port Melbourne’s best, accumulating 25 disposals and a tide-turning two goals.

Oscar Clavarino and Leo Connolly (19 disposals) proved courageous down back, but the Borough’s momentum couldn’t be halted as Matthew Signorello and Liam Delahunty snared a combined five goals for the afternoon to bank the result.

While it was a disappointing final outcome for the Zebras, the performances of Ryder and Dunstan will be front of mind leading into St Kilda’s upcoming encounter with Hawthorn.

Sandringham remains on the hunt for its first win of the season, with Box Hill next on the agenda at Trevor Barker Bach Oval on Sunday 2 May.

PORT MELBOURNE  3.3  4.8  8.11  13.14 (92)
SANDRINGHAM  4.1  8.7  8.10  9.12 (66)

GOALS
Port Melbourne: Signorello 3, Conway 2, Delahunty 2, O’Sullivan 2, Templeton 2, Hooper, Searle
Sandringham: Hunter 2, Kent 2, McKernan 2, Bayne, Bufalo, Ryder

BEST
Port Melbourne: Templeton, Signorello, Conway, O’Sullivan, Holmes, Delahunty
Sandringham: Dunstan, Ryder, Byrnes, Connolly, Hunter, McKernan