Modbury Jets hosted Adelaide Cobras in the twenty-first round of the South Australia's State League 1 on Saturday evening. The hosts ran out 4-0 winners in front of their own supporters at the Modbury Sports Complex. And here's the thing, the result leaves the Jets firmly in second place while the visitors drift further away from the top half.
The opening goal arrived in the forty-seventh minute, breaking the deadlock after a patient first half. To be fair, the home side had been building pressure throughout the opening period without finding the net. The Cobras struggled to respond, their defence unable to deal with the aerial threat Modbury brought to bear.
Adelaide's problems deepened when a second goal came at the seventy-first mark. By then, the visitors had lost their shape and were simply reacting to events rather than controlling them. The goal difference widened further as Modbury pushed for more, sensing blood after the break.
The home side completed the scoring with two goals in the closing stages. A strike in the ninetieth minute appeared to put the result beyond doubt, but Modbury added a fourth just two minutes into stoppage time. The incident went to review, but the referee had no hesitation in awarding the goal, and the crowd celebrated a comprehensive victory.
The table tells the story of the season so far. Modbury sit second with 44 points from 22 games, having won 13 and drawn five. Adelaide occupy tenth place with 20 points, their record of six wins and 14 defeats making this latest defeat another setback.
Both sides have played 22 matches this season, so there are nine rounds remaining. The Jets need to keep their momentum going if they are to challenge for the title. Adelaide must find consistency if they want to move off the bottom of the top half.