Here’s what the season’s penultimate round taught us …

1. There’s Only One El Zorro
Antonio Banderas might have made a good fist of the role but for A-League and Melbourne Victory fans, there can only be one El Zorro. After he reappeared in week 19 from what we can only assume was some kind of crime fighting enforced absence, Friday night’s meeting between Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix may have represented a more permanent farewell. If reports of Carlos Hernandez’s imminent departure from AAMI Park prove correct, his goodbye was a fitting one. The Costa Rican’s 11th minute torpedo was gloriously trademark, leaving Phoenix ‘keeper Mark Paston stranded and Ian Thorpe envious. The goal was just one highlight of an irresistible performance by El Zorro, who kick-started Victory’s 3-0 win, a match also memorable for Jimmy Jeggo’s scorcher and the exciting debut cameo of 17-year-old Julius Davies. Neutrals will hope that a home elsewhere in the league can be found, while the Blue and White Brigade shift their faith to young talent - but never forgetting the contribution of an A-League legend.

2. One Opportunity Not For Adelaide To Let Slip
Two sides with distinctly different motivations met at Bluetongue on Saturday afternoon as Central Coast Mariners hoped to secure the Premiership in front of their home fans. Their roadblock, Adelaide United, entered the match simply hoping to finetune their Asian Champions League preparations. By halftim, Adelaide had every reason to be heartened by their performance. Their attitude and gameplan had been a promising extension of their two previous matches, performances which earned them a shock win in Tashkent over Bunyodkor and a creditable point in Brisbane. The counterattacking outlook was yet to yield a goal but, as the lowest scorers in the league, that was nothing new for Reds fans. Criminally, their good work was undone within moments of the restart. Deposed captain Jon McKain’s defensive lapse in allowing Bernie Ibini to slip free and nod in the opener was just another chapter in the Socceroo defender’s annus horribilis. Such inexcusable errors can be tolerated no more as Adelaide attempt to salvage a horror season through continental competition. Having been passive spectators throughout the A-League season, they cannot afford the same silly mistakes. Despite winning 1-0, the Mariners had to keep the Premiership champagne on ice after their F3 derby rivals Newcastle Jets evilly foiled the Gosford celebrations by, erm, losing - to Brisbane Roar, keeping Queensland hopes alive, even if just for one more week.

3. Brisbane Keen For Derby Drama
Brisbane Roar and Gold Coast United have certainly shared an odd relationship – possibly even more unusual than the statistic anomaly of Brisbane and Newcastle’s troubles in beating each other at home, further strengthened by Roar’s 2-1 win at Hunter Stadium on Saturday. While that match deserves its own novel to document the finals-charged drama that encapsulated the 90 minutes, most Orange-thinking minds will have already switched focus to next Sunday’s M1 derby, the final match of the regular season. With an already intricate history of shared characters and seesawing success, their highly anticipated tussle is shaping as the best of a three-year rivalry. Beginning with the appointment of Miron Bleiberg as United’s inaugural coach to the 5-1 Boxing Day Massacre, Brisbane’s 4-0 win to cap last season’s Premiership and even Gold Coast’s extension of Roar’s mid-season losing streak, there is still plenty for both outfits to earn. For Brisbane, a confidence-boosting win over the now faltering Jets sets them for a shot at final-day glory, while their opponents from the weekend, Newcastle, must find confidence from their last trip to Sydney as the look to fend off the Sky Blues in safeguarding sixth place.

4. The Spirit Of Spiderman A Needed Ingredient
‘With great talent comes great responsibility’: Uncle Ben’s incorrectly transcribed words form a mantra which must be adopted by Melbourne Heart in finals football. Currently, John van’t Schip’s young charges possess only one of the two sought-after qualities. They are, however, lacking acceptance of responsibility, a flaw which may prove fatal in the ruthless jostle of knockout competition. Despite only needing a draw to secure a top six place in their home match against Sydney FC on Saturday night, Heart’s meek surrender of a two goal advantage to draw 2-2 was a worrying sign ahead of what should be the most exciting time of the club’s brief history. To allow rightback and half time substitute Shannon Cole to score twice, including a set-piece header to equalise, was purely unacceptable, regardless of the consequences. With a near full squad to choose from, it’s time for the gifted Melbourne Heart team to prove their mental fortitude in a serious environment.

5. Gold Coast United Can Avoid The Wooden Spoon
Gold Coast United ‘winning’ the wooden spoon this season seems to have been a mere formality for much of the season. Their 3-0 win over third-placed Perth on Sunday, though, means they are now just three points from ninth-placed Adelaide, who fell to a single goal loss in Gosford on Saturday and must deal with a midweek ACL fixture before hosting Melbourne Heart on Friday night. Now, buoyed by their first win since Boxing Day 2011, the Glitter Strip outfit will be confident of another three points against their opponents from that day in next Sunday’s M1 Derby, potentially enough to avoid finishing at the foot of the table. However long their history may eventually read, avoiding the dreaded beacon of failure would be a remarkable fillip for a club mired in drama. And while Gold Coast United’s ability to perform a final-round Houdini act may be no enormous surprise, it could be immensely important.