AFL live updates: Crows v Bombers clash on a knife's edge after ...

HT: Darcy Fogarty has missed a set shot after the half-time siren to tie the scores in a Friday night thriller at Adelaide Oval.

Essendon stretched their two-point quarter-time lead over Adelaide to 21 points midway the second term.

The Bombers’ stifling forward pressure had the Crows stuck inside their defensive 50 for long stretches, the home side not helped by their own poor use via foot.

But Essendon’s hard work didn’t bear the fruit it should have, thanks to errant goalkicking at one end and three straight Adelaide gifts in the space of four minutes at the other end - one was a Sam Draper 50m penalty, one was a poor kick across goal and one was a lapse of attention standing the mark while Jordan Dawson strolled around and booted a longe-range goal.

Bombers captain Zach Merrett, as ever, led from the front, with 20 possessions, while opposite number Jordan Dawson triggered Adelaide’s second-quarter fightback with two goals. He also has 12 disposals.

The telling stat has been the insides 50s. Essendon has gone inside the forward arc twice as many times - 32 to 16 - but can’t make the Crows pay on the scoreboard.

Sam Draper can’t get on the ground.

He has been standing at the interchange desperate to get on the ground, but the play has not come near him.

He has been off for 12 minutes, and there is only a minute left in the second term.

Sam Draper battles with Reilly O’Brien during his time on the ground.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images

Jake Stringer looks ready to explode. He has kicked 1.2, and is applying huge tackling pressure.

His last two shots on goal have missed, but if he finds his radar, he can do some enormous damage to the Crows. His second effort saw him burst through a stoppage and fire off a monster snap that just missed.

After giving up the last three goals, the Bombers have now had the ball living in their forward line.

Essendon opened the gate, and here come the Crows. They have booted three goals in four minutes and the crowd is going ballistic. Brad Scott will be fuming.

The third came from a beautiful longe-range bomb off the boot of Jordan Dawson. He now has two.

This is a three-point ball game. Bombers ahead. Just.

Just when Essendon had put their foot to Adelaide’s throat, Sam Draper has a brain fade and gives away a 50m penalty to Jordan Dawson. It that takes him to within scoring range. He boots truly.

It sucks the life out of the Bombers who have done all the work. A double blow. Chayce Jones follows up with the Crows’ second goal in two minutes. This one came off the back of a poor Essendon kick.

Seven minutes remaining in the second term, the Bombers by nine points. And the Crows’ crowd is growing louder.

The Bombers are hitting the scoreboard. They nailed the second goal of the quarter through Ben Hobbs, and then Jake Stringer came to the party.

The ball is living in Essendon’s forward line. The Crows are under siege. As a result, they have pushed numbers up to saturate the stoppages. And they are only going at 48% by foot.

Bombers lead by 21 points.

QT: Bombers captain Zach Merrett led from the front with 13 first-quarter disposals as the visitors dictated for the majority of the term.

The Crows could barely find the footy early - and when they eventually did, their ball use was haphazard. Essendon set up well behind the footy but they couldn’t capitalise on either Adelaide’s regular cough-ups or their own territory dominance.

The Crows started with Izak Rankine in the centre-square, where he was met by Sam Durham, last week’s giant-slayer of Marcus Bontempelli.