Adelaide United have completely demolished North Queensland Fury 8-1 tonight in the biggest win in A-League history. The Reds went back to second on the table after setting a new A-League record for most goals scored in one game and biggest winning margin.
Sergio van Dijk and Marcos Flores both netted hat-tricks whilst Iain Ramsay and Travis Dodd got in on the act as the Fury were brushed aside and now look resigned to finishing bottom of the table.
A-League Week 24Adelaide United: 8 (Marcos Flores 4'/37'/87', Travis Dodd 28', Iain Ramsay 42', Sergio van Dijk 46'/67'/83') North Queensland Fury: 1 (Panny Nikas 72')
Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Crowd: approx. 8,000 Referee: Peter Green Yellow cards:AU - nil NQF - nil
GOAL Flores started the rout in just the fourth minute with an emphatic header from a van Dijk cross to kickstart proceedings for his seventh of the season.
GOAL Less than 25 minutes later, the Reds went two ahead when skipper Dodd received a perfect set up ball from Flores before slotting home with ease past Fury keeper Justin Pasfield to make it 2-0.
GOAL In the 37th minute it was 3-0 when van Dijk found Dodd who advanced into the area before shifting and shaking off the Fury defenders before cutting back for Flores who knocked it home with ease.
GOAL Adelaide were on fire and it was soon 4-0 when Dodd's shot from a Flores through ball was saved by Pasfield but parried into the path of Ramsay who easily finished into the back of the net for his fourth of the season.
GOAL 5-0 it was just one minute after the break when van Dijk got in on the act, heading home a Flores header from inside the area before his side managed to score a sixth goal in the 67th minute.
GOAL van Dijk grabbed his second just over 20 minutes from time when he stuck it in the bottom corner after Flores played him through to net his 15th of the season.
GOAL Somehow the Fury got one back when Panny Nikas netted in the 72nd minute with a sweet strike from outside the area, possibly the goal of the night, although it wouldn't have dented the confidence of the Reds.
GOAL van Dijk completed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute when he made it 7-1 with a sweet right-footed volley finish from a Cameron Watson cross before Flores got his third three minutes from time when he scored the eighth GOAL with a neat header from a free-kick from outside the area to set a new competition record.
Starting Line-Ups
AUEugene Galekovic (gk), Nigel Boogaard (Cornthwaite 70'), Iain Fyfe, Cassio, Adam Hughes, Sergio van Dijk, Marcos Flores, Travis Dodd, Cameron Watson, Iain Ramsay (Leckie 75'), Francisco Usucar (Reid 64')
Subs - Mark Birighitti (gk), Paul Reid (64'), Robert Cornthwaite (70'), Mathew Leckie (75')
NQFJustin Pasfield (gk), Jack Hingert, Brad McDonald, Eric Akoto, Mark Hughes, Ufuk Talay (Studman 80'), David Williams, Panny Nikas, Andre Kilian (Cernak 46'), Chris Grossman (Sipi 53'), Jason Spagnuolo
Subs - Sebastian Usai (gk), Isaka Cernak (46'), Lorenzo Sipi (53'), Brett Studman (80')
