COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse believes the Pies' victory over the reigning premiers in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash was testament to his players' character and resilience.

In front of 84, 401 fans, the Pies lost Ben Reid in the first quarter with a quad injury before holding off numerous challenges from Geelong to record a 22-point point win which sees them sit a game and a half clear in top spot.

“I think it was more meritorious because we lost Reid in the first quarter,” Malthouse said after the match.

“In many respects we dared to win today.”

Matching it against the premier side in the competition was always going to provide a test for Malthouse’s men, and the Collingwood coach was generally pleased with how his side is shaping up with finals fast approaching.

“It is still a work in progress and the great thing is that we are not satisfied," he said.

"We’re not satisfied because we knew today we made some pretty ordinary errors which exposed us.

“There were a few areas today we learned about that we will hopefully get better and other areas we can say we have got reasonably right and we don’t have to dramatically change things.”

After a Brent Macaffer goal extended the margin to 28 points midway through the second quarter, Malthouse watched his side's lead evaporate as the Cats clawed their way back to hold a one-point lead at the main break.

But the Pies held their nerve and had all the answers in the second half, turning a two-goal deficit midway through the third quarter into a reasonably comfortable win at the siren.  

“Geelong are a champion side," Malthouse said. "It is always going to go down to the wire, those games.”

The Pies kicked a wayward 14.23 - including five posters - and Malthouse said the side would pay attention to goalkicking in the coming weeks.

“We hit the post five or six times … I think some of the players missed goals they would have got.”

“I’m not overly concerned, but I don’t want it to bite us though.”