Jets - Best Team In The League?

But under new coach Branko Culina, the Hunter club has clawed back from the bottom of the table, and now sit in fourth spot after five wins in six matches - and the A-League season's best record of four wins on the trot.

The turnaround couldn't have come at a better time, with just weeks of the regular season remaining.

Elsewhere, Kevin Muscat's 500^th club appearance on Saturday night against Sydney FC saw the two teams desperately try to claim bragging rights over the other, although wasted chances and poor finishing resulted in a thrilling but goalless and frustrating draw.

Gold Coast United also stayed in touch with the league leaders after a precision performance against fellow title aspirants Perth Glory.

Cellar-dwellers Adelaide United squandered a goal lead at home to draw with Phoenix, and another nail-biting game between the Mariners and Roar saw five goals shipped, with the Queensland team the victors on this occasion.

After a lean season on and off the field - with uninspired performances and dwindling crowds a cause for concern - Brisbane Roar took to the Suncorp turf on Wednesday night against North Queensland Fury, looking to take bragging rights over their northern cousins.

Undoubtedly the club, and the players, were buoyed by their second largest home crowd of the season, with 11,530 people walking through the gates.

Arguably, most of those in attendance had come to see Fury's marquee man, Robbie Fowler, in action, though it was the home side who started the brighter, and found the net in the 20^th minute.

The goal came courtesy of flying winger Henrique, who blitzed down the sideline and fired in a terrific cross for Sergio van Dijk to bundle the ball into the back of the net.

The Dutchman was to grab his second - and his 10th goal for the season - in the shadows of half time, after Tommy Oar and Matt McKay worked the ball into the box.

Oar was again in inspiring form, perhaps his finest moment coming in the 69^th minute when he unleashed a curling 25-yard wonder strike from the sideline, testing Pasfield in the Fury goal.

The visitors created changes through Dyron Daal and Daniel McBreen, though the entire team looked shell-shocked when David Williams was forced from the field with an injury early in the match.

After stealing a much-needed win in Brisbane last week, Adelaide United were looking to consolidate their position on the table against Wellington Phoenix, a team who had traditionally struggled in the City of Churches.

Fabian Barbiero got things rolling for the home team, when he pulled the trigger with a sweetly-hit but ill-directed hit from long range in the in the 10th minute.

Two minutes later, Mathew Leckie's half-chance was deflected by Phoenix goalkeeper Liam Reddy - in his first game for Wellington after transferring from the Roar - and fell in to the lap of Cristiano, but the Brazilian was subsequently unable to properly connect.

The visitors were forced to wait 41 minutes before their first genuine attempt courtesy of Troy Hearfield, but his shot was comfortably pouched by Reds custodian Eugene Galekovic.

A minute later, the ball fell for Daniel, whose attempted toe-poke was blocked by Adelaide's defence, and Paul Ifill's follow-up shot sailed wide. Tim Brown was forced to wonder what might have been after he headed wide having been given too much room in the box by the Reds defenders.

Phoenix controlled the play early in the second half, but it was acting Reds skipper Lucas Pantelis who, against the flow, came within centimetres of breaking the deadlock with a single-touch attempt on the back of an excellent pass from Cassio who had threaded his way through two defenders.

It was Alemao though, who made Wellington pay in the 57th minute with one of the goals of the season, a magnificent strike from distance after beating Daniel one-on-one.

Adelaide hearts were to be broken however, when Adrian Caceres bundled home the ball in the 77th minute effort, virtually one minute after subbing on for Costa Barbarouses.

After an encouraging performance just days before, Brisbane Roar travelled to Gosford on Saturday night, eager to build on their growing confidence. The Mariners, on the other hand, were looking to return to form after recent results failed to go their way.

As he has done on numerous occasions so far this season, Tommy Oar instantly lit up proceedings with a sublime piece of skill after just 10 minutes when he gathered the ball just inside the box, shimmied inside his defender and blasted his right-footed strike past Danny Vukovic.

Shortly after, Mariners striker Matt Simon had a golden opportunity to equalise but missed a sitter from the six yard box after Adam Kwasnik had sped down the right before squaring the ball for the big striker.

It was a costly miss, for within 60 seconds, Roar's little Brazilian Henrique had broken through the midfield and layed off to Van Dijk, who bent a left foot strike past Vukovic.

Central Coast got back into the contest against the run of play when a soft pass from keeper Griffin McMaster wasn't dealt with by Moore on the edge of the box and the ball  was picked up by a grateful Travis who blasted into the net.

Striker Dylan Macallister and Ahmad Elrich were brought on for the final 25 minutes as the Mariners desperately sought to avoid a third straight defeat.

The home side pressed the visitors back in the final stages and it was Macallister who headed home in a crowded box for 2-2 after Alex Wilkinson nodded in across the box from a Travis corner.

But in time added on Roar midfielder Matt McKay popped up to slam home a beautiful goal after Coast's defence failed to clear a set piece to win the game in a barnstorming finish to an entertaining match.

Kevin Muscat's 500^th club game couldn't have come at a better time - Saturday night's mouthwatering top two match-up with bitter rivals Sydney FC was always going to be explosive, and the Victory captain's landmark achievement was the icing on the cake.

Melbourne, of course, were looking to avenge a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Sydney earlier in the year.

The home side made the brighter start t and had their best chance inside the first two minutes when Robbie Kruse stripped Alex Brosque of the ball and delivered it to Archie Thompson who lashed a shot in the bar. The ball fell for Leigh Broxham, who headed it straight over the top.

Alex Brosque was denied on 21 minutes with a reflex block by Victory keeper Mitch Langerak, and from then on Sydney had few forays into the 18-yard box.

Melbourne fashioned chances through Archie Thompson and Carlos Hernandez, though neither could find the mark.

Sydney too looked wasteful, and arguably had their best period in the final 10 minutes where Corica, Brosque and Karol Kisel all had chances but failed to test out Langerak.

Melbourne now head into Christmas on 35 points with eight games to go and in pole position to defend the double they won last year.

After putting in a rather pedestrian performance against Roar midweek, North Queensland Fury travelled to Newcastle hoping to derail the resurgent Jets outfit.

It was Fury that had the better of the start and they fashioned the first real chance in the 15th minute when Daal played a nice ball into the area for Jeremy Brockie. The Kiwi forward fired a solid right-footed shot at goal that was parried away by Newcastle goalkeeper Neil Young

The Jets worked their way back into the match and snatched the lead in the 24th minute when Song rose high to flick on Matt Thompson's corner. Fury defender Chris Tadrosse made a meal of the ball at the back post as it trickled in for the opening goal.

Newcastle had the momentum and duly doubled their lead in the 38th minute when Song popped up at the back post to slot home after a break down the left wing by Labinot Haliti.

North Queensland produced some of their fighting spirit when Daal snared his first goal in the 44th minute after a goalmouth scramble to send the sides into the break with Newcastle holding a 2-1 lead.

Fury maintained their momentum to start the second half and good work from Fowler presented a golden opportunity for Chris Grossman just inside the box but he ballooned his shot over the bar.

Fury kept up the pressure and were rewarded on the hour mark when Daal scored his second. Jason Spagnuolo chipped in a cross from the left wing, Newcastle defender Tarke Elrich headed the ball clear but only as far as Daal, who unleashed a true volley from the edge of the area that rocketed into the far corner of the net.

Down the other end Fowler spurned a golden opportunity in the 72 minute when he scooped his shot over the target from 10 yards out after being played in by Brockie, before Brockie did the same after being put on goal by Fowler.

Petrovski was eventually able to celebrate a goal in his 100th A-League match when he bulldozed his way through the middle of the Fury defence before slotting home the winner to send the vocal home crowd into raptures.

Both Gold Coast United and Perth Glory have title ambitions this year, and the clash between the two was always going to a test of will.

With both sides enjoying an open match, Miller almost caught Velaphi napping, attempting an ambitious shot from 30 yards, while Sikora's headed effort in the 23rd minute landed into the grateful hands of Gold Coast 'keeper Jess Van Strattan.

The United custodian was then called into action in the 37th minute after Perth was awarded a free-kick just outside the area. Glory captain Jacob Burns was almost certain that his deflected free kick was bound for the top right-hand corner, however Van Strattan produced a top-shelf save turning it around the post.

With Gold Coast struggling to clear from the resulting corner, Steve Pantelidis was then yellow carded for a stretching tackle on Scott Neville, the resulting free-kick failing to eventuate.

Deep into first half stoppage time, Gold Coast then came close when Traore, finding himself unusually up-front, flashed a left-foot just wide of Velaphi's upright.

Returning from the interval, Miron Bleiberg's troop's looked to extend their lead further when Culina, tried to out-do Miller's first-half attempt from long range, the Socceroo launching a 52-metre chip that sailed over a back-pedalling Velaphi and into the cross-bar, bouncing out back into play.

Continuing to press, Miller extended United's lead fifteen minutes from time. The former Rangers star showed all his class as he fired a right-foot drive past Velpahi, after being played into the area by first-half goal scorer Smeltz.

The win keeps United in check with league leaders Melbourne and moves them to within two points of the second placed Sydney FC.

Hyundai A-League 2009/10 League Table

Hyundai A-League 2009/10 - Leading Goal-Scorers

15 - Shane SMELTZ

9 - Robbie FOWLER, Sergio VAN DIJK

8 - Archie THOMPSON

7 - Carlos HERNANDEZ

6 - Mark BRIDGE, Paul IFILL, Matt SIMON

5 - John ALOISI, Alex BROSQUE, Steve CORICA, Chris GREENACRE, Branko JELIC, REINALDO, Mile STERJOVSKI

4 - Michael BRIDGES, Tim BROWN, Dyron DAAL, Labinot HALITI, Victor SIKORA, Jin-Hyung SONG, Matt THOMPSON

3 - CRISTIANO, Rostyn GRIFFITHS, HENRIQUE, John HUTCHINSON, Daniel MCBREEN, Nik MRDJA, Lucas PANTELIS, Wayne SRHOJ, Nicky TRAVIS

2 - Leo BERTOS, Pedj BOJIC, CASSIO, DANIEL CORTES, Jason CULINA, Mate DUGANDZIC, Steven FITZSIMMONS, Jason HOFFMAN, Adam KWASNIK, Matthew LECKIE, Adrian LEIJER, Charlie MILLER, Adriano PELLEGRINO, Sasho PETROVSKI, Joel PORTER, Sean ROONEY, Nick WARD

1 - ALEMAO, Danny ALLSOPP, Costa BARBAROUSES, Fabian BARBIERO, Andrew BARISIC, Nigel BOOGAARD, Grant BREBNER, Scott BULLOCH, Adrian CACERES, Isaka CERNAK, Kofi DANNING, Luke DEVERE, David DODD, Travis DODD, Ahmad ELRICH, Ney FABIANO, Iain FYFE, Brendan GAN, Chris GROSSMAN, Jamie HARNWELL, Troy HEARFIELD, Dean HEFFERNAN, Todd HOWARTH, Adam Hughes, Matthew KEMP, Karol KISEL, Robbie KRUSE, Dylan MACALLISTER, Terry McFLYNN, Michael MCGLINCHEY, Matt McKAY, Tahj MINNIECON, MILSON, Craig MOORE, Kevin MUSCAT, Jason NAIDOVSKI, Mitch NICHOLS, Tommy OAR, Lloyd OWUSU, Tomislav PONDELJAK, Ben SIGMUND, John TAMBOURAS, Danny TIATTO, Rodrigo VARGAS, Jobe WHEELHOUSE, Alex WILKINSON, David WILLIAMS