We all know the story – a young and courageous David stands up to the huge Philistine warrior and takes him out with a single slingshot to the temple. David, of course, is the embodiment of the spirit of the underdog and his story is viewed today as largely apocryphal.

If only football were that simple. The game is not decided with a single shot, sling or otherwise, but over 90 minutes, and with good reason. No matter a side’s pluck, the overwhelmingly superior football team will usually have prevailed by time the final whistle is blown.

The Adelaide side that took the field at Hindmarsh on New Year's Eve was a collection of battle-hardened professionals and experienced, technically gifted footballers, a unit that has played good football for months. The Reds deserved their three points and all three of their goals.

The Sky Blues, meanwhile, have been hit with an injury crisis of, dare I continue stretching the metaphor, biblical proportions, only instead of the Twelve Plagues we had twelve players out injured or suspended going into the match. The side that took the field at Hindmarsh was mainly a collection of squaddies and kids barely old enough to drive, and Frank Farina had to make do with what he had. It is to be hoped that the Sydney boys are not judged too harshly for the Adelaide result – given the profound injury crisis the club has been hit with, a defeat was always on the cards. Interestingly, it is Sydney’s second injury crisis this season. Questions will be asked.

Under the circumstances, the Sydney effort was outstanding and deserves praise. The boys never gave up and were up for it the entire contest, never shirking defensive duties and continuing to chase and harass the home side even in the face of inevitable defeat. There is even some justification for all three goals as, first, Vidosic’s header came just as the aerially dominant Adam Griffiths was replaced by 16 year old Aaron Calver. The second was a correctly given penalty where Ryall made the wrong decision to dive in (probably the first bad decision he’s made in weeks) while the third was on the break as Sydney pushed out and were searching for a foothold in the contest.

Any side that misses players of the calibre of Bosschaart, Griffiths, Fabio, Culina, Abbas and Del Piero, among others, is always going to struggle. Their replacements did all they could but in attack lacked the creative edge to trouble the home side. It didn’t help that Yaira Yau hardly had one of his better games, taking wrong options and turning over possession regularly. Which isn’t to judge him harshly as he is still a raw talent very much on a learning curve, and one who usually benefits from the absent Del Piero’s creativity.

The leadership provided by experienced heads McFlynn and Emerton was superb, driving the youngsters on and leading by example. Fullbacks McLenahan and Grant were excellent throughout, and in midfield the Sydney Olympic connection of Antonis and Triantis never stopped trying. Up front Blake Powell toiled manfully but the last pass was missing, the Sky Blue side thrown together for this match lacking enough cohesion to threaten in and around the box.

Instead, Adelaide kept possession with aplomb and moved the Sydney players around the pitch through good combination football and switches of play. Carrusca and Vidosic once again ran the show while Bruce Djite, who has become a target man of quality, did his job to perfection, and reminded old timers of the role his coach used to play decades earlier. Little can be said of Eugene Galekovic as he was largely untroubled throughout the contest while his counterpart Janjetovic in the Sydney goal had an absolute blinder.

The Sydney fans can feel justifiably proud of their depleted side’s New Year’s Eve efforts. Harry Redknapp would be right in saying that we were down to bare bones, and the lack of quality showed. But the fight was there, and what a fan wants most when his side is inferior to the opposition is a show of courage. The Sydney boys did not give up and this kind of attitude will only bring them confidence and respect.

After a recuperative couple of days it will be on to Perth for what some would say is the more vital of the two back-to-back matches on the western half of the continent. Adelaide are largely unreachable to us at this stage of the season whereas a couple of decent results can place us within striking distance of the side that sits in fifth spot, five points above Sydney on the table.

I feel Del Piero will be on the flight across the Nullarbor. Meanwhile, Abbas and Culina make their returns while unfortunately Adam Griffiths has succumbed to knee injury, leaving us desperately short of options at central defence. Trent McLenahan will most likely move to centreback with perhaps Emerton filling in on the right of the defence.

As always, it will be a tough one at Members’ Equity Stadium but I feel the returning players can hold the ball well enough to protect the backline and keep Perth in their half of the field for sufficiently long stretches of the game. It won’t be easy but in Del Piero, Abbas, Antonis and Culina the Sky Blues have enough class to get us home.