Hoo-ah! Goals thanks to JayFCAK47
This game was supposed to be a stern test for Adelaide. The Boots were the A-League's in-form side, coming off a 2-1 win over Melbourne last weekend. Their attack, featuring the league's most lethal goal poacher in Shane Smeltz, and Fred, the hero of Victory's Championship-winning season, were expected to wreak a certain amount of havoc against United, who struggled for a draw against the Jets last week. United was also without the ever-dependable Costanzo in defense, with a certain Mr Flakes taking the Angry Ponytail's spot at centre back.
As the title of this post suggests, it didn't exactly pan out that way. The crowd in the north end were in good spirits at the start of the match, waving an inflatable sheep around and singing some amusing, mainly sheep-oriented, songs: 'Dirty deeds, DONE WITH SHEEP!' was one of the tamer ones. 'We're Going To Win Sux-Nil' also got a work out - at that stage, nobody could have guessed how close that prediction would be.
The game actually started off pretty evenly, with the Nux launching some enterprising attacks via Fred, Smeltz and Leo Bertos. It wasn't long though before United's defense got the measure of the visitors though, with Ognenovski winning every ball that came near and Jamieson and Mullen turning defense into attack beautifully on the wings.
The first goal came from a corner that pinged around the box for a while before the Ogmonster swung a leg at the ball and bludgeoned it into the back of the net. Third goal in three games for the big Maco. Charlie 'Cristiano' Runkle added a second when his big bald Brazilian scone steered a lovely Reid corner into the net. Half time and Adelaide was looking pretty good for the win.
After the break the Nux looked to have regrouped a little, and they were rewarded when Fred poked home after a goalmouth scramble. 2-1 and Ricki Herbert sent the message: "That's enough football for tonight boys, now let's just run around the pitch thinking about what we'll do for the rest of the weekend. How about we go to Crazy Horse after the match, bourbons on me."
Cassio then did to sub keeper Glen Moss what any self-respecting NZ farmer would have done when encountering a frightened sheep stuck between two posts: scored. A beautiful left foot pile driver from an acute angle. Then, just in case anyone missed it, he did it again. Pretty much exactly the same goal, from the same spot, into the same corner of the net, leaving Moss wondering how much razor blades retail for in $AUD. 4-1 to AUFC at this point. It may have been somewhere around this point that Ferrante smacked the crossbar for Welly with a sweet curling shot from outside the box - points for style, no goal.
Adelaide's fifth goal came from Runkle again, when Cassio attempted what would have been the greatest hat-trick in the history of the world by trying to beat Moss again with a strike identical to his previous two. This time he didn't hit it as sweetly, Moss got a hand to it and knocked it into Cristiano's path.
Viddie brought Sarkies on, in the knowledge that the boy can generally only score when his team is up five goals at the end of a match, but he did pretty much zilch except blow a free kick into the stands. Into extra time and Dodd put a cherry on top of the match with a sixth goal, which came as a result of some hilarious Wellington 'defending' (i.e. pass back to the attacking player).
Party time in the stands. All in all it was a stirling performance for most of the team. Barbiero and Mullen, who haven't exactly been regulars, were outstanding, and Jammo/Cassio owned the left side as usual.
Great match and a good send off for the Club World Cup next week.
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