A dominant and fluent 1st half display, with a goal in the 30th min by Julian Watts, gained Northern Spirit another home win and consolidated their claims on the top 6, whilst Adelaide again failed to win away. Unfortunately, for Spirit they couldn't go on with it in the 2nd half and Adelaide City may well have snuck a point except for some good keeping by Paul Henderson and some poor shooting.
Mick Hickman, the Spirit coach, started a better looking defensive line up with Noel Spencer screening in front of the back 3, and gave Adam Griffiths his first chance on the bench in place of younger brother Ryan. Spirit played well last weekend but were perhaps fortunate to come back down the F3 with a point and with a small holiday crowd of under 3K at North Sydney Oval the club desperately needed another home win for the points and to attract back the supporters.
Adelaide City Coach, the enigmatic Zoran Matic, brought only 2nd string keeper Daniel Godley and left injured Cagalj in SA, but got away with it as Godley looked solid.
As was reported during the week Spirit came out in attack and from a 1st min Scott Thomas free kick on the right an attempted overhead bicycle kick by Julian Watts went wide but augured well. Former Spirit striker Alex Moreira got forward on the left for the South Australians but his pinpoint cross was shielded to safety by a Spirit defender.
In a rare forward foray, Carl Veart hit a drive over the crossbar from 25m in the 13th min but it was not indicative of any danger to the Spirit goal. The game was now quite free flowing and Spirit particularly were moving the ball quickly out of defence and switching play to good effect. They even managed to keep possession whilst doing it.
John Hutchinson got free on the left in the 18th min and from a chip, Cardozo flicked it toward goal but the danger was cleared. Hutchinson again got forward in the 22nd min and he got a fine cross to the head of Adrian Cervinski but the rejuvenated striker was only able to head wide to the left of the goal.
Adcity's Aaron Goulding got into the area a few minuted later and received the ball well but he was blocked by the solid Spirit defence. Again, Hutchinson lobbed a ball into the area and Cervinski's header was deflected for a corner.
Spirit managed to keep the ball in play around the Adelaide area after the corner was defended and from a deflection from Simon Bell's attempt at a header Spirit's English journeyman defender Julian Watts, who had stayed forward, stuck out a leg and steered the ball past a hapless Daniel Godley. Spirit continued to press but was unable to capitalise on their growing dominance, with balls getting forward but the final pass letting them down. Alex Moriera was forced to try speculators, as Adelaide was given no room to move in the Spirit half.
A great chance fell to Scott Thomas in the 37th min when he dived to head the ball just wide on the right from a rare Craig Foster cross. Midfielder Thomas was getting space to move as the strikers were being closed down by the quick young Adelaide defence, and he had a great opportunity again in the 42nd min when he was free in the box with the ball, but alas off balance. As he attempted to kick toward goal, the keeper was able to get a foot to it.
As the half drew to a close Spirit's dominance but frustration at not being able to break through again was epitomised by Pablo Cardozo's looping shot from 25m, which beat the keeper but was just over. The 2nd half started with Spirit still pressing and City finding it hard to get into the game.
Inexplicably despite being told at the break to go on with it, Spirit took the foot off the pedal, or was forced to drop back by Adelaide, after 7 or 8 mins.
In the 53rd min Moreira was over with a shot under pressure in the box, and a min later Goulding broke well clear on the left and it Henderson narrowed his angle and was able to take the shot.
It wasn't until the 63rd min that Spirit got a real opportunity when after good interplay the ball got to Cardozo in the box but he was close down by several defenders before he could turn and shoot.
At the 67th min Aurelio Vidmar got a rare chance from a free kick in range but the curling shot was pushed for a corner by Henderson. The play ebbed and flowed but no real chances occurred until Aaron Goulding again got forward in the 87th min and Henderson came out very fast to smother the ball at his feet.
The injection of Adam Griffiths and Aaron Burgess for Spirit gave a bit more penetration but they were not getting service, as communication seemed to break down in the midfield.
Then last hurrahs for both teams were a Vidmar snap header from 10m which went well over the crossbar, and half chances to Griffiths and Burgess which eventually was closed down.
Spirit coach Hickman felt after the match that the first half was the best thy had played all season but he was disappointed that they let Adelaide push up on them in the 2nd half.
Spirit's best were Noel Spencer, Paul Henderson, Michael Cartwright, John Hutchinson and Scott Thomas (before substitution), while Pablo Cardozo and Adrian Cervinski were kept quieter than the last two games. Substitute Adam Griffiths impressed with his energetic and intelligent play. Spencer particularly gave play making veterans Carl Veart and Aurelio Vidmar no room to move.
Adelaide City's 'Alex Tobin look-alike' Iain Fyfe did a very good job on Cardozo plus another former Joey Aaron Goulding and young Scott Tunbridge also impressed.