It Finally Happened...

John Aloisi has now scored more goals than he did all last season.

Oh, and Gold Coast United got beaten.

At the start of the season Gold Coast United supremo Clive Palmer proudly puffed out his chest and proclaimed his intentions for the league.

His team, he said, would not only win the league, but do it undefeated. The reality that will face Professor Palmer is that just over 310 minutes transpired before their first ever loss.

Jason Culina joked in the press this week about getting on over on his father the last two the two clashed, but Culina senior will be delighted that the ledger was squared in indomitable fashion.

How the new golden boys of the league bounce back remains to be seen, but their task is a daunting one when they host new table-toppers Sydney FC next week, fired up by their own unbeaten run and Aloisi finally hitting a vein of goalscoring form for the Sky Blues.

Both Adelaide United and North Queensland Fury went into Friday night's game needing a result if they were to stay in check of the top six and the visitors' quest for their first ever A-League victory was given a helping hand by talismanic captain Robbie Fowler just minutes after kickoff.

The Fury captain charged into the box, swooped on a pinpoint James Robinson cross and kept the ball low to beat Eugene Galekovic to silence the Hindmarsh crowd..

Fury's lead was short-lived, however, when, in the 23rd minute, stand-in captain Lucas Pantelis found himself on the end of a cross from Michael Marrone and tucked a shot past Fury goalkeeper Paul Henderson.

Pantelis turned provider just 10 minutes later, crossing for striker Lloyd Owusu who angled his header past Henderson, and delighted the 11,000-strong crowd with some blatant bedroom-mirror choreographed goal celebrations.

Fury were creating chances at the other end of the park, the best of which came in the 32 minute when James Robinson hammered a ball straight at Galekovic before sending the ball over the cross bar on his second attempt.

The second half was a war of attrition, as each side struggled to gain a foot-hold in the match. North Queensland had the better of the opportunities but the woodwork denied them on numerous occasions

Substitute Dyron Daal then equalised for the visitors after latching onto a long-ball and slotting it under Reds goalkeeper Galekovic. When  fellow substitute Fred Agius set up Daniel McBreen to a score just four minutes later, it seemed Fury would leave with all three points.

But, with just injury time to play, Dyron Daal found himself demoted from hero to villain adjudged to have handled the ball in the area whilst defending a corner.

Pantelis sent Henderson the wrong way to jag a point for his team.

In the second match of a Friday night double-header, Perth Glory welcomed Melbourne Victory to the West in a game that saw both teams coming off hard-fought wins in the previous round.

The home side got off to a flyer when Branko Jelic capitalized on a wayward shot from Mile Sterjovski to poke the ball home in just the fifth minute. The goal sparked Melbourne into action, with the visitors immediately stamping their authority on the game from this point.

Archie Thompson - who confided during the week that he 'hated' venturing West - had the visitors equal on the 10-minute mark.

Despite Victory's authority, it was Perth who took the lead in the 54th minute, when Sterjovski again combined with Jelic to give the former Energie Cottbus his second goal for the game and sealed the win for Glory.

Although without a head coach to guide them from the sidelines, Brisbane Roar were determined to get a result against a plucky visiting Central Coast Mariners outfit on Saturday evening..

The home side's determination was evident from the outset, with only some miraculous saves by Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic to help the visitors stay in with a fighting chance.

His efforts came to naught, however, with Roar captain Craig Moore nodding home a header in the 11th minute to seal a win for his side.

Charlie Miller was lively in the midfield for Roar, and created genuine chances for Robbie Kruse and Henrique in the first half - only for the duo to spray their shots. Henrique continues to be an influence in the midfield too, and may prove to be the signing of the season for a side that has had trouble finding genuine goalscorers in the past.

Miller had a great chance to net one himself in the 62nd minute, but the Scotsman's powerful strike was well saved by a desperate Vukovic.

Substitute Nicky Travis, who replaced Mrdja in the 60th minute, made an immediate impact but after a slick intercept in the middle, was pressured off the ball by Henrique before he could pull the trigger from the cusp of the box.

In the end though, Roar held on to record their first clean sheet at home in 14 matches, and 19 months

Much had been made of the match between Newcastle Jets and Gold Coast United - with Branko and Jason Culina each representing opposing sides, a rarity in world football.

After an even opening, the first chance fell the Jets' way in the 16th minute when Jin Hyung-Song - who looked dangerous all day - darted past his man down the left wing and crossed to the near post where Sasho Petrovski forced a good smothering save from Gold Coast goalkeeper Scott Higgins.

Up the other end of the park, the notoriously troublesome Gold Coast frontline pairing of Joel Porter and Shane Smeltz was corralled expertly by the Newcastle defence, with the pair having to rely on long-range shots to test the keeper.

It was the home side, though, who found themselves in front just minutes before the break. Song was put into space by a delightful Fabio Vignaroli pass, and the little Korean ran the ball deep into United's half before sliding a pass out to Sean Rooney. The former Sydney FC youth striker unleashed a stinging shot to beat Scott Higgins at his near post to take a well-deserved lead into half time.

Gold Coast coach Miron Bleiberg added Brazilians Milson and Anderson in the second half in the hope that the pair would inject some attacking impetus into his side. Both looked dangerous down the flanks, but neither was able to find the elusive equaliser.

In a desperate attempt to square the ledger, Gold Coast poured men forward for the final 20 minutes, but the efforts by Smeltz or Porter weren't enough to rescue their side's perfect start to the season.

Wellington Phoenix must have felt confident visiting Sydney FC for the final match of the round on Sunday afternoon after enjoying plenty of success in recent outings to the harbour city.

It was the home side who started the brighter this time, though, with Mark Bridge - making the most of a rare start - having two good attempts in the first 10 minutes.

A lively Brendan Gan also caught the eye after replacing injured midfielder Terry McFlynn with only the quick reflexes of stand-in Wellington goalkeeper Reece Crowther denying the flying winger's powerful header from close range midway through the first half.

Sydney also saw efforts from John Aloisi and Kofi Danning fail to hit the target.

Wellington rarely travelled forward through much of the first half, but started the second stanza in a lively fashion when Michael Ferrante curled an effort from 25 metres. Ferrante's shot was fumbled by Sydney custodian Clint Bolton, who then scrambled the ball away to safety as onrushing attackers looked to pounce.

It was Gan, though, who came closest to breaking the deadlock on the hour mark flashing his shot marginally wide of the post. He was not to be denied moments late, however, when he powered home a  header from a Karol Kisel corner.

John Alosi double the lead four minutes later, courtesy of an Alex Brosque cross, to seal an impressive win for the home side - and set up a corker battle for top spot against Gold Coast United next weekend.

Hyundai A-League 2009/10 League Table

Hyundai A-League 2009/10 - Leading Goal-Scorers

6 - Shane SMELTZ

3 - John ALOISI, Sergio VAN DIJK

2 - Robbie FOWLER, Chris GREENACRE, Carlos HERNANDEZ, Jason HOFFMAN, Branko JELIC, Lucas PANTELIS, Archie THOMPSON

1 - Danny ALLSOPP, Mark BRIDGE, Jason CULINA, Dyron DAAL, Kofi DANNING, Travis DODD, Brendan GAN, Royston GRIFFITHS, Michael MCGLINCHEY, MILSON, Jason NAIDOVSKI, Nigel BOOGAARD, Jin-Hyung SONG, Tahj MINNIECON, Daniel MCBREEN, Paul IFILL, Leo BERTOS, Danny TIATTO, HENRIQUE, Steven FITZSIMMONS, Ben SIGMUND, Wayne SRHOJ, Adriano PELLEGRINO, Victor SIKORA, Matt SIMON, Lloyd OWUSU, Sean ROONEY, Craig MOORE