By Justin Chadwick

PERTH, July 24 AAP - Carlton overcame a 26-point half-time deficit and the loss of Dennis Armfield to post a fighting 26-point AFL victory over West Coast at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.

The Blues were horrible in the opening half and looked destined to record their fifth loss in six games as West Coast took control of the vital midfield battle.

But Carlton turned the tables in an inspired second half, booting 11 goals to three to race away with the 15.19 (109) to 11.17 (83) win.

Eddie Betts (three goals), Chris Judd, Marc Murphy (two goals), Kade Simpson and Jeff Garlett (three goals) were influential in the fightback, while Shaun Grigg, Paul Bower and Heath Scotland were impressive in the first half when their teammates faltered.

But the win was soured by a neck injury to Armfield, who was sent to hospital for scans after copping a heavy hip-and-shoulder from Eagles goalsneak Ashton Hams early in the second quarter.

Hams, who ran past the ball to make the bump, was reported for the contact.

Blues swingman Jarrad Waite also went into the book in the dying minutes of the match for a bump on Adam Selwood that was a fraction late but otherwise fine.

Selwood injured his shoulder in the clash, while Andrew Strijk was another final-quarter casualty, the youngster stretchered off after colliding heavily with Bower in a marking contest.

Carlton's ninth win of the season lifts them a game and percentage clear of ninth-placed North Melbourne, who suffered an upset three-point loss to Essendon earlier in the night.

The Eagles were well served by Mark LeCras (three goals), Strijk and Hams (two goals), but had too many passengers in the second half as Carlton made their charge.

It took just eight minutes for last week's 12-goal hero LeCras to make his mark on the match, the Eagles goalsneak dribbling through an incredible goal off the outside of his right boot while being pushed over the boundary line.

Carlton kicked a wayward 2.5 in the opening term and their skills were just as shoddy, with numerous turnovers gifting West Coast easy goals.

The Eagles took a four-point lead into quarter time and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in the second quarter, kicking five goals to two against a Carlton outfit that looked devoid of confidence.

Blues coach Brett Ratten needs to bottle whatever he said at half-time, because it worked magnificently.

Carlton were inspired after the break, attacking in waves as West Coast's midfield and defence capitulated.

The usual suspects in Judd, Murphy and Betts were all influential, with both Betts and Murphy kicking two goals apiece in the third term as Carlton went inside their forward 50m an astonishing 23 times.

Carlton hit the lead late in the quarter and never looked troubled from there on, with their run of nine unanswered goals only broken by an Andrew Embley snap in the dying seconds of the match.

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