A-League rocks in Adelaide.

Adelaide United 4 Melbourne Victory 1 Full-Time score

Great geam, great goals and great skill. A classic at Hindmarsh tonight with two teams going full pelt.

Adelaide were good value, but Victory contributed to a wonderful game.

United came out at pace. They were missing Nathan Burns, Bruce Djite and others, but you wouldn't have known it.

Jason Spagnuola, Lucas Pantelis and Travis Dodd were exciting. There were chances galore but no goals, not early.

Melbourne had their moments. Danny Allsopp linked with Leandro Love and the much improved Carlos Hernandez. And Allsopp nearly scored.

But Adelaide were firing, and at pace. Ljubo Milicevic and Matthew Kemp were replacing Kev "The whistler" Muscat and Grant "that's B as in booking ref" Brebner. And they were rotten in the first twenty. Ljubo was off the pace and Adelaide ripped through time and time again.

Ljubo urged his troops to concentrate as the corner was about to be taken, but it was himself who stretched and headed it home. An own goal.

That wasn't enough. Travis Dodd fired home soon after nutmegging Joe Keenan for 2-0.

It was great and when "two weeks" Giraldi missed, or rather Michael Theoklitos made a wonderful save...you just wondered if the most dangerous lead in football would rear it's head again.

And Hernandez was pulling strings in midfield as Adelaide dropped the pace a little. Kemp was getting forward in support and Victory were looking a little more on the ball.

Adelaide were still getting chances, but less now.

And then there were four Victory players attacking at pace.

It was great to see and when the ball broke Archie Thompson put a smile on all football fans..well at least those not wearing red.

He stroked it home beautifully from outside the box, a few seconds before half-time and it was 2-1 at the break.

Great stuff.

Victory started stronger in the second half and started to control the play. Danny Allsopp caused problems all night and Archie was buoyed by his first half strike.

You sensed a goal.

And it came, but not from Victory.

After surviving a Victory onslaught, Adelaide regained their two goal lead when Travis Dodd rose to head home a wonderful Richie Alagich cross.

3-1 Adelaide. United were looking good and Diego nearly rubbed salt in the Victory wounds.

Victory tried and Coach Ernie Merrick responded with attacking substitutions and with Victory's creativity tonight they didn't look out of it.

But when Lucas Pantelis dropped his shoulder and screamed the ball into the top right corner the whole stadium cheered with joy.

A superb goal and no more than Pantelis and the wonderful Travis Dodd deserved.

Great game, and Muscat will be back and Victory will improve, have no doubt.

But with home games to come, and Burns, Djite, Agostino, Bobby Petta and others out Adelaide must be very hopeful of climbing the league.

The rest of the league must be wondering how United have be able to attract so many exciting attacking players.

Next week, Aurelio Vidmar has a few headaches. Too many players, and too many players in form!