You can expect the unexpected from a week filled with incredible results, in Round 5 of the PlayStation 4 National Premier League South Australia.

West Torrens Birkalla against South Adelaide was pretty tame, compared to some of the other high scoring games–Adelaide City 7-4 Adelaide Raiders, Metro Stars 1-5 Adelaide Blue Eagles–this week.

It could be that both teams' lacked potency up front, or that their back lines were unable to be cracked, as neither team were prepared to yield to the other. 

Evidently though, South Adelaide have built a strong, staunch home ground on O'Sullivans Beach Road–where much of their success last season, was wrought. 

Birkalla were met with an expectedly unyielding opposition as they headed further south, away from home towards O'Sullivans Beach.

South, with a packed crowd of blue and red, endured and pressed for much of the game, containing Birkalla to their own half–for much of the first half and limiting their chances.

Birkalla weren't given the opportunity to play their usually possessive and opportunistic style, and they were unable to capitalise on the chances they had–which were fleeting.

South played a high line, and were able to match their fifth placed opposition for the whole match–they eventually came to dominate the second half, in terms of goal scoring chances.

The first half of the game played out in contrast, as a tug of war between the two; with neither team finding a firm enough grip to supplant the other, with little attacking opportunities.

This changed after the break and South, with the homeground advantage, pulled away using their typical all in style, by taking advantage of their few chances with strength and speed, upfront.

Birkalla's backline–Haris Vukic, Adam Le Cornu, and Scott Nagel–remained strong for most of the game, enduring a ricochet of back and forth possession, but eventually, they cracked.

It was a brace from Jonathon Rideout that tore a hole directly through Birkalla's backline, first in the 59^th minute, and later with his second at the close of the game, in the 81^st minute.

The youngster was dominant upfront in that second half, proving too much to handle with his effervescence and explosive pace across the top.

 South closed the game 2-0, off the back of Rideout's individual brilliance, in a game full of tenacious deliberation, dominated by stoicly passive football, from both sides.

Aside from the score though, nothing really changed in the second half–it was an even game littered with few chances–though Birkalla, unlike South, didn't find any traction up front.

Perhaps, the loss of Paul Radice–after his red card last week, which was a straight send-off–contributed to Birkalla's lack of lustre and conviction going forward.

With their defeat, Birkalla drop to eighth, six points from the top team–Adelaide Comets–and just a point and a place above South, who have lifted free from the bottom three.

The loss may have been more forgiving for Birkalla, if the closest teams around them–Croydon Kings, Adelaide United, West Adelaide–hadn't gained points, but they did.

Regardless of the loss, next week Birkalla head home for a difficult game against MetroStars, who have had a disappointing start to the season–they sit at tenth, in the bottom three.

South Adelaide, now newly revitalised, are taking on Adelaide Olympic away from home–a test for them, in proving their form won't just be measured by their home ground success'.

Written by Christian Fleetwood