A-League: Adelaide United 2 Melbourne Victory 1

Adelaide United secured third place on the A-League ladder after defeating Melbourne Victory 2-1 at Adelaide Oval on Friday.

The win over their long-time rivals broke a minor form slump for the Reds that saw them collect just one point from their previous three matches following a record-breaking 8-1 belting of North Queensland Fury three weeks ago.

Paul Reid gave the home fans something to cheer about early when he scored in the fifth minute to open proceedings before substitute Archie Thompson leveled on 65 minutes when he curled the ball into the back of the net from close range.

But Adelaide captain Travis Dodd proved the hero when his header with 12 minutes to go flew over Michael Petkovic’s left shoulder.

Carlos Hernandez and Thompson both had chances to score late for Victory but Adelaide held on for maximum points.