YOU DON'T have to play at your best all year, just in September when it matters most. And Collingwood, now through to a preliminary final, is proof of that.

After losing five of their last seven games to dip out on a top-two spot, the Magpies delivered on the big stage in a high-pressure, pulsating qualifying final against an equally gallant Adelaide – in enemy territory, no less – to come away with a 24-point win to get another step closer to the mythical 17th premiership.

CROWS v MAGPIES Full match coverage and stats

Only a straight kick separated the two sides at the main break as the pressure cooker reached boiling point, finally exploding as Collingwood rammed home seven consecutive goals either side of half-time to eventually run out an 11.13 (79) to 8.7 (55) winner.

Adelaide never bowed out despite the Magpies' constant heat, throwing everything at their opponents in a spirited close to the game with three of the last four goals, but they now have their finals ambitions hanging precariously with either Greater Western Sydney or Hawthorn to come in next week's do-or-die semi-final.

While veterans Jamie Elliott (four goals) and Steele Sidebottom (three) were pivotal in their side's third-quarter scoring alongside the midfield work of Jordan De Goey (26 disposals, six clearances), it was Darcy Moore who pieced together a true captain's game in defence which served as the backbone of Collingwood's triumph.

Moore reeled in 13 intercepts and nine intercept marks – Collingwood had 12 of those in the opening term – while opposite 300-gamer Taylor Walker, cutting off the Crows' forward threats on multiple occasions and opening the door for his side to counter, swarm on its opponents at the contest and gradually ramp up the heat on the persistent home side.

The high-pressure contest and chaotic movement enhanced Collingwood's surging style early in the contest; Nick Daicos adding impeccable polish to the mayhem of the first 10 minutes with a deft goal to fire his side off to an early lead in an attempt to silence the passionate home crowd.

Milestone man Walker turned the crowd's chorus of boos into a cavalcade of cheers with his side's first major of the game after 15 minutes of play, and again steadied the ship in the second quarter to kick off his side's own run of goals to counter the Collingwood charge.

Spurred on by their former skipper, the Crows upped the ante as majors to the returning Luke Pedlar and Riley Thilthorpe thrust them out to their first double-digit lead of the match prior to half-time, and while finishing each quarter strongly to never fully allow the Magpies a chance to relax, weren't able to overcome the black-and-white army's resolute backline.

It afforded enough time for the Magpies to respond offensively, first through the seasoned Sidebottom and then Darcy Cameron, who galloped onto the end of a whopping Lachie Schutlz torpedo from the centre square to quickly snuff out the home side's heroics.

The heat of the contest was on full show as both sides came to blows at the main change, however it was the Magpies who came out swinging to leave the Crows scrambling to stem the bleeding on the scoreboard and their opponent's constant press.

Much-needed majors to Pedlar and Thilthorpe dragged the Crows off the canvas by three-quarter time as the 35-point deficit midway through the penultimate term was chiseled back to 19, but time soon became a problem for the home side as both sides failed to score a major right until Elliott's fourth in the final 30 seconds of the game.

Fly's gamble on Cox pays off
While there was a considerable amount of coverage for milestone man Taylor Walker heading into his 300th game, it was the born and bred Texan in Mason Cox who Collingwood fans were most tuned into. Coming in for the omitted Dan McStay, Craig McRae rolled the dice to bring in the tall American for his first game since round 19, where he was subbed off in a goalless performance. While not registering a major for the game, the 34-year-old ensured the gutsy move came off, bringing the ball to ground on multiple occasions to the benefit of Collingwood's swarming smalls and provide a relieving option in the ruck with eight hitouts.

Busy Match Review awaits
Jordan De Goey was one of Collingwood's best on Thursday night, but may have a nervous wait to see if he'll feature in the upcoming preliminary final after a bump on Josh Worrell in the final two minutes of the third quarter. The Magpie, who had 24 disposals and six clearances, made glancing contact with Worrell's head while attempting to smother an entry inside forward 50, which will likely come under MRO attention. Worrell himself found himself on the other side with a bump on Lachie Schultz in the last term – the Magpies recruit similarly seeing out the rest of the game – while Mark Keane also clipped the back of Steele Sidebottom's head in the second term. 

Talk about using your head
Finals football is built on moments, so the old adage goes, and Billy Frampton's unconventional noggin-nous was one of those that dictated the manic opening quarter. The ex-Crow looked to have been completely undone deep in defence by a cruel bounce from a wild Rory Laird torpedo driving his side into attack, with 200-gamer Alex Neal-Bullen dashing in to tap through what at first glance appeared to be Adelaide's first goal. But a rewind of the tape showed Neal-Bullen's deflection had brushed the scrambling Frampton's head; his last-gasp lunge doing just enough to push the ball over the goal line before the milestone Crow could get a boot on it. It was ultimately one of a number of desperate defensive moments from Collingwood that culminated in a win to advance through to a preliminary final.

ADELAIDE                   2.1     5.1       8.4        8.7 (55)  
COLLINGWOOD          2.3     5.7     10.11     11.13 (79)  

GOALS
Adelaide: Pedlar 3, Walker 2, Thilthorpe 2, Dawson
Collingwood: Elliott 4, Sidebottom 3, Lipinski, De Goey, N.Daicos, Cameron

BEST
Adelaide: Thilthorpe, Neal-Bullen, Pedlar, Walker, Worrell
Collingwood: Moore, Elliott, N.Daicos, De Goey, Sidebottom, Cameron, Frampton 

INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Collingwood: Nil 

SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Brodie Smith (replaced Mitch Hinge in the third quarter)
Collingwood: Roan Steele (replaced Wil Parker in the fourth quarter)

Crowd: 52,187 at Adelaide Oval