The Mariners had one final clear chance to get on the scoresheet just past the hour mark when Murray ran onto a ball played into the area that enabled him to tee-up a one-on-one showdown with Filip Kurto.

Though his powerful shot did scoot through the legs of Kurto, the Pole was able to make enough contact to allow him to recover just in time to prevent over the line.  

United’s Party Soured

Up 3-0 after just over 2-0 minutes on Sunday afternoon, it appeared as though nothing could spoil the party for United.

That was until the 27th minute, when a seemingly innocuous collision between the talismanic Diamanti and the Mariners’ De Silva left the 36-year-old Italian writhing on the turf and grasping at his foot.

His attempts to get up and walk off the pain done in vain, he was replaced by Dario Jertec on the half an hour mark and taken to the dressing room for treatment. He wouldn’t emerge for the rest of the game.

It marked the first occasion that Diamanti had left the field before the final whistle during his time at United – previously every minute of every game for the A-League expansion side in 2019/20.

Though United didn’t exactly need their captain to see off the Mariners, any extended absence from Diamanti could prove disastrous for Rudan’s side – whose season has already been severely hampered by injury lay-offs to the likes of Panagiotis Kone, Josh Risdon, Aaron Calver and Brendan Hamill.

“I just spoke to him,” Rudan said. "Apparently, something similar happened when he was in Italy - when he was playing for Atalanta against Milan. He loves throwing these big names out. He said he could be, he believes a couple of weeks.

“But we don’t know, it’s too early to tell. I haven’t spoken to our medical staff until we actually get him a scan and find out exactly what the situation is.

“I thought it [De Silva’s challenge] was innocuous. Looking back on the replay I didn’t think it was malicious.”

Now up to the fifth on the table, United will welcome sixth-placed Adelaide United to Whitten Oval on Australia Day next week before they travel to cellar-dwellers Newcastle Jets in round 17. Another bye will then arrive in round 18.

Whether Diamanti is available for either of those crucial fixtures, for Brisbane Roar's visit to Mars Stadium in round 19 or, in a worst-case scenario, even longer will be one of the biggest questions facing United in coming weeks.