BEST

5000 and Reddy's copped them all

We couldn't have hoped for a finer way to reach the 5000th goal in A-League history than from a sensational Ola Toivonen free-kick in front of a packed Perth crowd. Yeah it was a light free kick, but from the neutral's perspective, it was purpose-built for a moment like this.

It's another milestone for a keeper that's been there from the very beginning, from goal one to goal 5000 Liam Reddy's conceded most of the milestone marks.

While it's perhaps not a record that many goalkeepers would hope for, especially given there were a few howlers in there from the veteran (the 3000th against Roy Krishna anyone?) it's a testament to the goalkeeper's incredible longevity as well.

The Championship is wide open

Only six points separate Sydney FC and Perth Glory, with the two sides to meet in Sydney on April 18. It sets up this season for a nail-biting last few rounds, especially given the returns to form for Siem de Jong and Reza Ghoochannedjad. 

The race for second place and the all-important bye heading into the first round of finals also hangs in the brink, with Victory two points shy of their Big Blue rivals.

Both these sides have a lurking disadvantage to their Perth opponents however, with the Glory untroubled by Asian Champions League campaigns set to test the depth of Melbourne and Sydney come finals.

The Big V's big two are big talents

Much like Sydney's sensational forward line against Brisbane Roar, the Big V's two big names, Keisuke Honda and Toivonen, are hitting their peak at the perfect time.

Both have suffered injury-interrupted seasons but will be key to Melbourne's hopes come finals time, with their goalscoring of particular importance. 

While Kosta Barbarouses has led the line with aplomb, the backup brigade Kenny Athiu and Elvis Kamsoba, for their flamboyance, are clearly still too inexperienced to rest Championship hopes on.

Castro never capitulates

The old adage 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going' succinctly applies to Diego Castro, who is clearly going to be key to any hopes Perth have of sustaining an incredible season over the next two months, turning a Premiership into a maiden A-League Championship.

While the likes of Andy Keogh, Chris Ikonomidis and Joel Chianese can drift in and out of contests, especially when effectively man-marked, Castro's ability to always force his involvement, even in less-than-impressive team or personal performances, is just one of the reasons he's in contention for a second Johnny Warren Medal. 

WORST

Record crowd, poor performance

Over 17,000 people packed HBF Park after a big campaign from the Glory over the past week to attract fans to see their table-topping Premiership favourites, but Perth couldn't deliver on the pitch.

It's little more than unfortunate timing for Tony Popovic's side, which no doubt have one hand on the trophy after a stellar season - yet their relatively listless display will do them no favours in the long-term.

Route-one disappointments

Perhaps most disappointing for Perth's fans was their team's lack of creativity in the final third. Route-one crosses to the likes of Dino Djulbic were a disappointing way to show their wares to a slew of new fans at HBF, yet it was all-too-often all Perth could muster.

Melbourne, on the other hand, were more stylish both in build up and result. Their ability to play through the lines, in direct contrast to their performance last time these team's met at AAMI Park, was clear for all to see.

It's an interesting foreshadowing for how Kevin Muscat has learned from the team's inability to handle Perth this season across multiple fixtures. Could it bode well for Victory come finals? We'll have to wait and see...