Brisbane Roar will head into the finals in devastating form after recording their first-ever win against derby rivals Gold Coast United with a 4-0 demolition at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Returning to their flood-ravaged home ground for the first time since drawing with Perth Glory on the 7th of January, the Roar celebrated in style, playing top-shelf from start to finish, reaffirming their position as the stand-alone Championship favourites in front of a season-high crowd of 20,381.
From the time Kosta Barbarouses netted their first in the third minute to the time Thomas Broich capped the display with a fourth goal in the 85th, the home-side looked to be on a completely different level to their opponents.
Brisbane made the perfect start in their quest for a breakthrough win against their neighbours, with Barbarouses taking a beautiful pass from Matt McKay and rifling his right-foot shot past Glen moss to open the scoring.
Barbarouses continued to torment the Gold Coast defence in the opening exchanges, using his pace to get in behind the line and receiving exceptional service from his midfield.
Increasingly, it was the Roar in control, but at around the 20 minute mark, Gold Coast had their first opportunity of the game, with Shane Smeltz engineering an opportunity for Zenon Caravella to Michael Theoklitos with powerful shot, low to his left.
The opportunities were few and far between for United in the first half, as Brisbane's speed merchants, Barbarouses and Henrique ran riot in the hosts' attacking third.
The pressure was finally converted into a second goal in the 42 minute, as Erik Paartalu made a brilliant run, meeting a Thomas Broich cross and giving Moss no chance with a scorching, left-foot volley.
Gold Coast made an improved start to the second half, and Theoklitos was twice called into action, as Smeltz shook the cross bar with a free kick and then Anderson demanded a block with a right-foot rocket from within the area.
Brisbane weren't about to let the momentum slip away, however, and they soon returned fire with Barbarouses and Henrique combining beautifully to take the play back into the depths of opposition territory with some clever one-two play.
The Roar had a setback at the hour mark, with Mitch Nichols hacked down by Caravella and forced from the field with an ankle complaint.
But the misery didn't last long, with crowd favourite Henrique taking pass from Ivan Franjic inside the area and smoking his shot past Moss to seal the result.
Gold Coast appeared completely unable to force their way back into the game, and in the 66th minute Henrique took a pass from Franjic inside the penalty area and slotted past Moss to put the result beyond all reasonable doubt.
Brisbane coach Ange Postecoglou allowed granted his Theoklitos an early mark, substituting his shot-stopper in the 80th minute to allow second-stringer Andrew Redmayne his first minutes of the season.
Brisbane put the icing on the cake in the 85th, with McKay breaking through the defensive line before squaring up for an unmarked Broich to hit the open goal.
Matt Smith had a chance to make it five, but Moss reacted brilliantly to stop the headed shot, and the final whistle came shortly after.
Brisbane Roar 4 (Barbarouses 3m, Paartalu 42m, Henrique 66m, Broich 85m)
Gold Coast United 0
Crowd: 20,831