KEY POINTS:
A match-winning goal from Adelaide United's Fernando a minute from time has left defending A-League champions Sydney FC in danger of missing the play-offs.
That goal, the only one of the match at Hindmarsh Stadium, left Terry Butcher on the wrong end of a 1-0 result for the second week in a row after losing by the same margin to the New Zealand Knights.
Butcher will now take the reigning champions to Brisbane on Saturday for a game against Queensland Roar which has "must win" written all over it.
Sydney and the Roar both have 28 points but Sydney is comfortably ahead on goal difference. They meet 24 hours after Newcastle Jets play already-confirmed minor premiers Melbourne Victory.
A win for Newcastle would book them a place in the play-offs and leave Queensland needing to beat Sydney to get through.
Suspensions will leave Queensland and Sydney below full strength for what promises to be the match of the round. Silly indiscretions by Sydney's Mark Milligan and Terry McFlynn, who went into the match at Hindmarsh on three bookings, earned them their fourth cards of the season and a mandatory one-match suspension.
It was the same story for Josh McCloughlan and Matt McKay in the Roar's 2-1 away win over Melbourne.
Needing a victory to keep their hopes alive, Queensland took the 18th minute lead through Damian Mori. They held that advantage until the 79th minute when Archie Thompson sent the 28,937 fans at the Telstra Dome wild with his equaliser.
That joy disappeared two minutes into added time when Dario Vidosic snatched the desperately needed winner for the Queenslanders.
Late strikes also played their part in sweltering conditions in Perth.
In the match which marked the farewell appearance of favourite son Bobby Despotovski, the home side fell behind to a Nick Carle goal after 12 minutes. A Simon Colosimo penalty had the Glory level at halftime. Goals to Jamie Harnwell and Josip Magdic had them 3-1 ahead after 81 minutes, an advantage they held until stoppage time when Joel Griffiths scored twice to stun the 7904-strong crowd at the Members Equity Stadium.
The point was enough however to ensure Perth will not be caught by the cellar-dwelling Knights, who needed to beat Central Coast Mariners - they drew 0-0 - to keep their slim hopes of getting up to seventh place alive.
In another key game, to be played on Sunday, Central Coast (who cannot make the top four) are at home to Adelaide. A win for the visitors would guarantee them second place behind Melbourne and a second life in the play-offs.
Should Adelaide lose, the winner of the Queensland v Sydney clash would take second and relegate the South Australians to the minor (one-life) semifinal.
* Interestingly, in the first six matches (of seven) in the third of the three rounds of the A-League, only Queensland and Melbourne have picked up more points than the Knights.
The Knights, with two wins, three draws and the solitary loss to Melbourne, accumulated nine of their 16 points to head Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide, Central Coast and Perth.
The Knights and Melbourne are the only teams to lose only one of their last six outings.
