All the ingredients were there to make the opening match of the new season at Parramatta Stadium a stunning success on Saturday night.
Two local rivals, both hungry for success, a number of new and exciting players on show for both sides and warm up entertainment from Sydney all-girl band Ajaqa - who are travelling the country as the support act for touring chart toppers Destinyıs Child - all looked a tantalising enough smorgasbord to please those assembled.
The crowd, however, despite its sound support, was well down on last yearıs corresponding fixture and this on a lovely spring evening in Sydneyıs west, where just a hint of a breeze kissed the air.
Once the game got under way both teams demonstrated that more than the mere 5,000 who turned up should have on hand to heed the call of an enthralling derby, given the history of games between these sides.
There are always goals and on this occasion, for the first time at the stadium, there was a Northern Spirit win.
Parramatta Power played perfectly well, but their opponents simply played better.
Some awful indecision at the far post in just the fourth minute by three Spirit defenders saw the ball cleared to the feet of defender Nick Orlic, 12 yards out from goal, following an inswinging free kick by Damien Brown from the right.
Orlic first steadied and then planted a low shot past debut-making Spirit keeper Lupce Acevski to give the home side the early impetus.
Spirit had dithered badly and they knew it, being punished in typical fashion when they failed to take responsibility for a ball at their feet right in front of their own goal.
They then drew great encouragement from an equaliser provided for them by new signing Pablo Cardozo, within four minutes, a piece of individual skill that illustrated the kind of finishing prowess the team has been lacking in recent seasons.
Cardozo breezed past two Power defenders, including Orlic, before letting fly with a rising shot that beat Les Pogliacomi convincingly as it found its way into the top left corner of the net.
The rest of the first half included chances for both sides and plenty of stirring action to keep a noisy, if modest sized, crowd on its toes.
John Buonavoglia taunted the Spirit defenders with his speed and guile, once getting through to face Acevski and slipping past the keeper only to carry the ball too far and also in a later ove running the ball just over the byline after giving a defender the slip.
His partner up front for Parramatta, Luke Roodenburg, could make little headway, but his midfield support act, Lubo Lapsansky, was always in the thick of things and was unlucky on several occasions.
The turning point of the game, at least according to Parraramatta coach David Mitchell, came in the 40th minute when key defender David Barrett was handed a straight red card for a bad tackle from behind on the half way line against John Hutchinson.
The extra man gave Spirit some free space, for a short while at least and they capitalised quickly.
They almost conceded a second goal first, however, but a telling tackle in the 6 yard box from Julian Watts on Roodenburg in the 42nd minute after the young striker had been fed a great pass by Buonavoglia from the left byline, ensured that Spirit remained in touch.
Moments before the break they went to the lead when a Trajkovksi cross from the right eluded a string of defenders and reached Hutchinson at the far post.
There the former Eastern Pride player ghosted in behind the last defender to glance a header into the bottom left corner of the Power net.
Northern Spirit extended their lead four minutes after the restart when they won a free kick out wide on the right after Trajkovski had been impeded unfairly by Brown as the former Perth Glory man made his way down the flank in an ominous looking move.
Robbie Enes lifted the ball towards the far post and when it bounced high after hitting the ground and was missed by the flailing hands of the keeper, it was met by the head of Julian Watts who had time to pick his spot.
Spirit clung on to their two-goal lead, but always looked liable to be caught out by the speedy Parramatta attack and they needed to make a number of important clearances and tackles to deny their opponents any further goals.
Wayne OıSullivanıs pass for Lapsansky saw the ex Melbourne Knightsı man slice his shot inches wide from a tight angle in the 66th after Buonavoglia had screwed his own effort wide ten minutes earlier, following a huge clearance by keeper Pogliacomi upfield.
Andy McDermott was called upon to head off the Spirit line in the 72nd after Acevski had raced well off his line to foil Steve Fitzsimmons who still managed an audacious lob from the left touchline attempting to exploit the absence of the keeper from his goal.
Fitzsimmons, who had replaced Brown for the last half an hour, gave Trajkovski the slip down the left in the 81st and set up Buonavoglia.
The tiny front manıs first-time effort was saved with a stuck out foot by the keeper, but only partially, as the ball ran free for Orlic to head towards goal, but the tall defenderıs gallant effort cleared the bar.
Both sides were back to even strength for the last 15 minutes after Spirit skipper Craig Foster picked up a second caution and it was mainly sound defence that got the visitors home in this last period of an enjoyable game.
Spirit coach Mick Hickman, when asked how his new-look side had managed to score three goals inside 49 minutes in its first competitive match and yet had failed to score a single goal in all its trial matches, explained that only twice had the full side been available for one reason or another.
He felt that the ability of his side to score the equaliser so quickly was the deciding factor in the game, rather than the send off in the 40th minute of Power defender Barrett. He felt that this goal lifted his side considerably and led to the later goals and his sideıs general will to win.
While acknowledging that this was a good performance by his Spirit players he warned that it would take some time for the 8 new men to settle down and the team is well short of hitting its straps yet.
Beaten coach David Mitchell felt that the game was evenly balanced until the send off in the first half and his teamıs lack of care in giving away free kicks played into the hands of the opposition.
His side also failed to utilise Nick Orlic properly, he complained, after he had pushed the earier goalscorer forward in the second half.
Instead his side was guilty of playing too many short passes and not finding the tall man with direct balls and crosses which might have led to attempts on goal.
On this showing both sides should do well this season and the all- round team showing by Spirit was in marked contrast to previous seasons when there appeared to be a greater emphasis on individual players, sacrificing team disipline in the process.
Parramatta tackle champions Wollongong in their next match and should have nothing to fear once they settle down for the season, based on their showing in this match.