Five-star Gold Coast
Gold Coast United has maintained its hold over rivals Brisbane Roar, knocking in five goals to register a comprehensive 5-1 victory at Skilled Park on Boxing Day.
A hat-trick from Shane Smeltz and a double from Kristian Rees gave United's biggest home crowd of the season plenty to cheer about in an entertaining fixture that offered everything.
Roar midfielder Matt McKay opened the scoring in the seventh minute but after Gold Coast defender Kristian Rees equalized deep into first-half stoppage time, it was all one-way traffic.
Smeltz converted a penalty five minutes after the restart and Rees scored his second goal after nipping in at the front post to dink a right-foot effort past the extended right arm of McMaster, making the score 3-1.
The home side then put the game beyond doubt in the 60th minute when Smeltz peeled off Roar defenders Craig Moore and Luke DeVere and headed Porter's cross expertly home.
The Kiwi international completed his treble when Culina played a neat chip into Caravella who slid a pass across the goal mouth to Smeltz who tapped home a classic poacher's goal.
And the goal feast continued later in the evening at ME Bank Stadium as Perth Glory rediscovered some scintillating form to thrash the Newcastle Jets 4-0 at ME Bank Stadium on Boxing Day to re-enter the Hyundai A-League's top six.
Two goals to Jamie Harnwell, and one each to Naum Sekulovski and Mile Sterjovski saw the Glory win their first game since their November 22 home victory over Sydney FC.
The Glory had just one win, five losses and three draws from their last nine matches to slip to seventh position on the table, and despite losing Victor Sikora (thigh), Wayne Srhoj (knee) and Eugene Dadi (illness) in the lead up to the game, turned on a clinic to storm up to fifth spot.
The Jets had been in great form winning four straight games to move into the top four themselves and still remain in fourth position, two points ahead of both the Glory and Brisbane Roar, despite the heavy loss.
Meanwhile, in the National Youth League, Perth taught Newcastle a lesson, winning its sixth match in a row 4-0.