Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — South Adelaide Panthers 1st with 49 points, Western Strikers 3rd with 0, 49 apart. Recent form told a different story for Western Strikers: only 14th in the league over the last five rounds despite sitting 3rd. Against a league average of 1.89 goals per team per game, South Adelaide Panthers ran at 2.82 scored and 1.18 conceded, Western Strikers at 1 and 2.
South Adelaide Panthers had won four straight, having scored in 7 consecutive games. Western Strikers entered with three losses in a row. The five-game form split read 13/15 points for South Adelaide Panthers against 6/15 for Western Strikers.
O'Sullivans Beach Sports & Community Centre in Adelaide staged the fixture, a ground that holds 1,000. Half-time and full-time told different stories: South Adelaide Panthers led 2-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 3-1.