Adelaide United have tightened their grip on second place after a 2-1 victory over third-placed Gold Coast United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Friday night.
Goals either side of half-time to Paul Reid and Travis Dodd were enough to claim maximum points over the visitors, who finished the match with 10 men after James Brown collected two yellow cards.
United controlled the game for most of the 90 minutes despite a wonder goal from Bas van den Brink on the stroke of half-time.
The Reds had opened the scoring inside 10 minutes when Reid capped off a delightful build up from the hosts.
Reid fed Argentine Marcos Flores on the edge of the area and the creative playmaker held the ball up before dropping a no-look chip pass behind the GCU defence for Reid to run on to and smash home a half volley from 10 metres.
The visitors almost equalised five minutes later when former Adelaide striker Bruce Djite out-muscled defender Robert Cornthwaite and pulled the trigger from 12 metres out on a tight ankle.
Djite's power drive had keeper Eugene Galekovic beaten but the striker watched his shot cannon off the post.
United gave Gold Coast little space to manoeuvre and mount any real threat, shutting down Djite immediately and forcing playmakers Jason Culina and Zenon Caravella to demand the ball in defence rather than the front third.
It mattered little when van den Brink equalised with the last kick of the half with a contender for goal of the season.
Djite teed up the Dutchman and van den Brink fired a rocket past a helpless Galekovic into the top corner from 30 metres out.
A minute after half-time United's lead was restored through Dodd after a clever cross from winger Iain Ramsay.
The speedy left-footer kept the ball in possession when it appeared he would let it run out for a corner, catching the GCU defence napping.
Ramsay's pin-point cross found Dodd who guided his header past Higgins.
James Brown received his marching orders on the hour mark after a cynical challenge on Cassio earned him his second yellow card.
Adelaide United 2 (Reid 11, Dodd 47)
Gold Coast 1 (Van Den Brink 45)
Crowd: 12, 005 at Hindmarsh Stadium