Perth Glory have one hand firmly on the Premiers Plate, but the jostle for positions behind them promises plenty of drama when the A-League resumes after next week's international break.
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Glory extended their lead to nine points with just five rounds remaining with a 2-0 home win over Adelaide United on Friday and second-placed Sydney FC lost ground with a 2-0 home loss to Melbourne City on Sunday.
Defending champions Melbourne Victory moved to within a point of Sydney with a 2-1 home win over Brisbane on Saturday.
The break comes after a dramatic round which featured a remarkable first-up 3-2 win for Central Coast Mariners under caretaker coach Alen Stajic at Newcastle and some emotional and heartfelt responses to the Christchurch terrorist attacks.
Both Melbourne Victory's Kiwi star Kosta Barbarouses and Wellington Phoenix's Roy Krishna dropped to a Sajdah prayer position to pay tribute to those killed and injured in Christchurch, after netting one of their two goals each in their club's respective wins.
A teary Wellington coach Mark Rudan ended his press conference after just two questions following Phoenix's 3-1 home win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
"It's not what this country's about. It's a great country. This world doesn't deserve something like that," he said about the terror attacks.
"It was important that we played our part and that was for the victims and their families and the whole country. Because the whole country's mourning."
Krishna's double took him to the top of the golden boot standings with 15 goals, but he blotted his copybook by getting sent off for two quickfire yellow cards for similar offences; raising his arm in challenges.
The Mariners showed new resolve under Stajcic by winning for the first time in nine matches and for just the second time this season.
Central Coast surged to a 3-0 lead, but almost dropped two points in a finish as extraordinary as any in the competition's history.
Newcastle pulled back two goals and had a chance to snatch a point in stoppage time when awarded a penalty.
Roy O'Donovan had his shot saved by Ben Kennedy before Daniel Georgievski lashed home the rebound, but a review showed he had encroached into the penalty area prematurely.
Irishman O'Donovan had to take the kick again, but Kennedy pulled off another save.
"To save two penalties in a row, it just shows how strong he is mentally to be able to produce that kind of effort and get the lads three points," Stajcic said.
"I've been here for five minutes so just to see the spirit and the effort, and the way the lads went about their work, you could see they were really scrapping and fighting for every moment."
Three points separate fourth from sixth, with Wellington leading that trio and City leapfrogging over Adelaide into fifth after ending a run of six games without a win, while United haven't won in their last five.
Australian Associated Press
