Bulldogs sink teeth further in after third win in a row Bulldog veteran Paul Thomas boots the ball forward in the match against South Adelaide at Hickinbotham Oval. Picture: Mark Brake. CENTRAL District's stranglehold over South Adelaide has stretched to 17 successive games after a 25-point victory at Noarlunga. The Bulldogs' winning streak against the Panthers is an SANFL record for consecutive victories against one club. They have claimed their past eight matches at South Adelaide's home. Not that the two premierships came without a fight. Although the Bulldogs were the dominant outfit for much of the game, the Panthers retrieved a 27-point deficit in the second quarter to grab the lead early in the third. The Panthers trailed by just nine points late in the third term but the Bulldogs' superior composure and class enabled them to secure control in the final quarter. The victory has lifted the Bulldogs into the top five on the ladder. "The win is good but we know we have to play better," Bulldogs coach Roy Laird said. We did not have the down period we have had in other games but I'm still concerned with our skill level. The Bulldogs had the early ascendency but sloppy skills at crucial moments going into attack hampered the side's bid to apply scoreboard pressure. The home side was also having issues finding targets, far too often blasting into the 50m only to find a Bulldog defender. Over-using the ball was a major problem for the Panthers. They had a heap more possessions than the Bulldogs for the first quarter but a want to use the short chip or a handball rather than go direct constantly halted promising attacking forays. It was a trend which continued into the second quarter and many of the Panthers' turnovers were the result of poor skill execution and not pressure from opponents. The Bulldogs effectively used Kyle Jenner as the loose man in defence and he shut down many threatening attacks. However, it must be said the Panthers had a habit of kicking straight to him. With the Bulldogs' defence dominant, it was able to spark run through the likes of Jay Nash and Brad Symes. But like the Panthers, they often broke down across half forward as well as wasted scoring opportunities. If it was remarkable the Panthers trailed by only 12 points at half-time, it was even more surprising they led three minutes into the third quarter following goals to Michael Wundke and Roland AhChee. Chasing a third successive after dropping their first four games, the Bulldogs responded to build a 21-point buffer at three-quarter time. "We talked about not pulling the trigger between the midfield and half forward," Panthers coach Ron Fuller said. We want to take that extra chip kick. I thought we over used the ball too much through the midfield all day actually. Certainly that release - it is pretty frustrating as a forward if you are not going to hit that one up and take it on. Best - Central: Jenner, Henderson, Williams, Nash, Reichert, Symes. South: Hartigan, Cross, McDonald, Brooksby, AhChee. Goals - Central: Callinan 3; Henderson, Dunne 2; Goodrem, O'Hara, Jenner, S. Milne, Nash, Glenn. South: Wundke, Snook, AhChee 2; McDonald, Liddle, Eddy, Murphy. Umpires: S. Thompson, J. Ralston, R. Hundertmark. Official crowd: 1505 at Hickinbotham Oval.