Bruce Djite rules ok!

What a fantastic game.

Adelaide United 2 Central Coast Mariners 1

The crowd, the colour, the pace, the skill the A-League rocked at Hindmarsh tonight.

The young guys once again did their thing for Adelaide and it was a joy to watch.


Adelaide fans decked out in red at a packed Hindmarsh Stadium warms any Aussie football fans heart.

With the table topping Mariners in town a big game was on.

For the Mariners Mori, Petrovski, Hutchison and Kwasnik showed why they are top of the league Quick, creative and direct with the ability to create chances at pace.

And if Damien Brown had matched the work of his team-mates the Mariners may well have won again.

But United were gorgeous. People talking about the boring A-League. Leave it out. Sydney with Juninho, Newcastle in full flow, Wellington on the rise, the leaders the Mariners and of course the awesome Nathan Burns led Adelaide United are keeping me entertained.

Burns show Heffernan a clean pair of heels with a delightful piece of skill. A match for Juninho? A World Cup winner against a young Aussie on the rise.

I'm loving the Nathan Burns development show. And he's developed. Again making an increasing number of crucial interventions. He set up the opener for Bruce Djite. Another Aussie on the rise.

And any young Aussie who dominates in the Aussie league can clearly perform overseas at a high level.

Remember Jason Culina and Brett Emerton in the old NSL, and I would suggest those two lack the skill of a Djite of Burns.

Dodds inspired, Diego worked hard and Adelaide were on the run.

But from somewhere the Coast worked their openings and their fitness began to tell. And eventually the goal came and Sasho Petrovski scambled home.

The ref, Matthew Breeze, must have been watching Craig Zetter at Sydney the night before. The standard was the same. Dismal.

A clear Djite second goal just had to be allowed. But Breeze standing right in line of the Burns foul, Djite goal called play back.

And would it impact on this game, this great A-League game.

End to end they went. Probing and challenging.

Diego was fouled by Tony Vidmar. Second yellow and Vidmar was off.

And then Bruce Djite scored. A man who plays his football with honesty and integrity scored. And I was delighted.

Djite has been criticised by many, but he's young and he's scoring and he tops the charts.

Time to recognise his talents and progression. He can only get better.

The Mariners were outstanding and contributed to this great game.

If anyone is the Manchester United of this league it is Adelaide. Over three seasons they have consistently played the football, the intricate but flowing football.

Like United they have the ball players and the flair to do it. And that is the difference.

Creative players all over the park. And this with Bobby Petta, Jason Spagnuola and Paul Agostino out of the side.

Agostino was injured. How many of our ageing returnees continue to miss games in this league? Makes you question their value but that's for another day.

Today Hindmarsh was red. When Vidmar was sent-off the camera's showed two women in the crowd dressed in red. they cheered with a joy and a passion.

It was a real football moment, in a 90 minutes of excellence in Adelaide, and I loved it.

Whenever Adelaide are in town. If you are a football fan do not miss it.