I like flares. There, I said it. To a police force that treats football fans as potential trouble makers and to whom flares represent the perception of unruly, rioting, soccer-supporting unAustralians, this statement is like admitting to being a nappy-wearing, kiddie fiddling Neo-Nazi.

Let off safely, I don’t see a major issue – imagine a group of Sydney fans colouring the away end in Sky Blue, and the Wanderers end smoking red. It happens worldwide, presents little problem, and looks fantastic. Perhaps it’s the idiots who choose to throw them – suddenly it becomes an unwelcome and dangerous missile. Maybe the reason for the ban is that flares don’t hurt people but people with flares hurt people. Can Aussies be trusted?

Given the atmosphere and the good spirit between fans the answer is overwhelmingly yes. Sky Blue and Red marched to the game next to each other in safety and good spirit, and after the game walked out in unison with not an incident in sight, much to the chagrin of the salivating mainstream media hoping to cover a “soccer riot”. Sorry guys – it was a family-friendly, happy atmosphere with humorous, pointed chanting, strong one-eyed support and not a hint of trouble.

What an occasion, and what a match. In the most historic and important game for Sydney since 16 November 2005, a rivalry was played out in front of a packed Parramatta Stadium. Yes, there was the Corica goal in the Grand Final of 2006, and I can watch Kevin Muscat miss that penalty time and again, but from a football and historical perspective this took the biscuit. And fifty years from now fans will talk of rivalry between Bling FC and the fibro dwellers from the West - a rivalry that began on 20 October 2012.

We dominated the first half, stretching the Wanderers to the limit. But for a couple of poorly taken options in the attacking third, we could’ve been ahead at half-time, the Wanderers resorting to playing on the break.

Off the park we had them on toast as well, and poor Mark Bridge copped a pasting - not so much because we want him back but precisely because he was such a disappointment his last two years in Sky Blue. I do wish him well though, and to me he’ll always be the guy who buried that header in Melbourne a few short years back before his career hit the skids.

Come the second half and the Del Piero express train was gathering momentum. Untouchable, he led three defenders a merry dance in the box before conning Aaron Mooy into sticking out a leg – a clear penalty and a lesson in quick feet for a cumbersome Wanderers backline and the youthful Mooy.

Relief as Del Piero finally put away the rebound, and then it was back to out-singing and out-chanting the Wanderers fans. Well, we have had seven years more practice, they’ll only get better. Nice colours behind the goals though. Get some songs.

And as the home side threw the kitchen sink at us, it was wonderful to see Terry McFlynn come on and replace a hurt Paul Reid, who for mine was one of the best on the night. We finally have some real midfield options, and Jason Culina will bring poise and creativity to the centre of the park once he is ready. Back to McFlynn - the crowd gave him a deserved standing ovation when he came on, singing the Terry McFlynn song that tells of a courageous player who knows what it takes to win matches and titles. Hopefully that’ll be the last we see of the booing – we are better than that.

The last 10 minutes, we were living on our jangling nerves but after an agonisingly long four minutes of injury time, it was all over. The players celebrated with the crowd and didn’t want to leave, such is the relationship between the players and the Cove. We are easily the best away fans in the country, and players and fans feed off each other. And as the boys just about reached the tunnel, Del Piero turned around and jogged back across the field to thank us once again. Maybe we gave the boys that little bit extra in that last 10 minutes when the going was tough and anyone could see how much the support meant to them.

It was a wonderful team effort, with Ivan unflappable, defence tough and resolute, midfield dominant, and Del Piero pulling the strings in attack. More is to come up front, but right now the great man himself seems to be our best scoring option. Kruno Lovrek was better, but I feel he is of greater use higher up the park, opening up space for Del Piero in which to operate. Seb Ryall had another blinder, and new skipper Brett Emerton showed his value on the right side of the attack, beating Adam D’Appuzzo with ease time and again.

Aaron Mooy was the best of the West, followed by Shinji Ono who still has what it takes. But for better finishing by Bridge (sound familiar?) they may well have stolen a point. They play decent football that’s easy on the eye and will win their share of games this season.

All in all a high quality game and a fantastic night at a ground seemingly built for the A-League. The tight stadium, filled to the brim and rocking with Sydney support, is full of atmosphere and you get a great view from every seat in the house. Average hot dogs though, but no worse than at Moore Park.  

And from the sublime to the ridiculous, it’ll be off to the white elephant in Homebush next Sunday afternoon, where any crowd under 30,000 seems like three men and a dog, and sounds like it too. Give me a tightly packed and intimidating Kogarah Jubilee any day.

Off the bottom of the table, first win of the season, Yau, Culina, Bosschaart and Chianese yet to influence the season and make the side that much stronger, and one up on the new boys from the wrong end of town. A great night and all is well with the world.