The Southern Saints are now just one victory away from a near-guaranteed finals berth after overcoming fellow top-six aspirants Carlton in a thrilling finish at Ikon Park.

Led by an unrivalled Tyanna Smith (22 disposals, six tackles, two goals), the steely Saints overturned a 14-point deficit at three-quarter time to bank a season-defining 6.5 (41) to 7.5 (47) win on Sunday afternoon.

It came after the visitors – who cruised to a 19-point advantage at half-time off the back of their clean ball movement – conceded five unanswered goals in the third term and were limited to just two forward entries for the quarter.

Smith was the saviour in her role along the wing, dragging her team over the line with an influential eight touches, a goal-saving mark and the match-winning goal in the last quarter alone.

The runner-up in St Kilda’s Best & Fairest was joined by Alice Burke (22 disposals, eight tackles) across half-back and a fiery Deanna Joliffe (19 disposals, 12 tackles), while Jess Matin threaded two majors from her eight touches.

Carlton’s Lucy McEvoy (21 disposals, six clearances) played a lone hand in the opening half as the Southern Saints’ class outshone the stoppage work of the Blues early in the piece.

Clean disposal and sharp movement inside-50 resulted in three of the Saints’ four goals before half-time, with Matin opening the account within the first two minutes of the game before Amelia Peck and Smith followed with precise kicks of their own.

Coupled with their tackling pressure, the Saints appeared to have both hands on the wheel as Carlton struggled to get the ball forward of centre.

That quickly changed after the main break as the Blues assumed control with five third-quarter goals without reply.

Ill-discipline and consecutive 50-metre penalties from the Saints resulted in the first two opposition scores, with Carlton adding insult to injury with a comprehensive lesson around stoppage.

Matin was thrown into the middle to combat the Blues’ assault, but it did little to stem their momentum as they added another three goals before the siren gave Dale Robinson’s side a much-needed reprieve.

Tara Bohanna got the visitors back on track with the opening goal of the fourth, before Matin backed herself in from the pocket to put the Saints within a point midway through the term.

It wasn’t long after that Smith – who appeared to be everywhere in the dying minutes – reclaimed the lead with a goal on the run to keep the dogged Blues at bay.

Sunday’s victory adds a crucial four points to the Southern Saints’ tally, with the result placing them inside the top-six as the race for the last spot in finals becomes a two-horse race with the Western Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs (seventh) must beat Casey this Saturday to edge out the sixth-placed Saints, but a win for the latter will lock them into another finals campaign.

Carlton and North Melbourne also remain mathematical chances to creep into the top-six, but must rely on both the Saints and Bulldogs to lose their respective matches, plus gain a considerable percentage boost (in excess of 40 points) to make it.

The Southern Saints will look to secure a place in this year’s VFLW finals series next Sunday when they face North Melbourne on Sunday 27 June at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval at 12:00pm.

CARLTON  1.0  1.2  6.5  6.5 (41)
SOUTHERN SAINTS  2.0.  4.3  4.3  7.5 (47)

GOALS
Carlton: Lew 2, Lawrence 2, Wilson, Wood
Southern Saints: Matin 2, Smith 2, Peck, Bohanna, Ripari

BEST
Carlton: McEvoy, Borg, Lew, Lawrence, Coletti, Honeybun
Southern Saints: Smith, Joliffe, Burke, Stuart, Matin, Hynes, De Angelis