Brisbane's misery escalated with a 4-1 loss to high-flying Wellington, whose A-League credentials are growing stronger by the week.
Second-half goals to David Williams, Roy Krishna and Sarpreet Singh ensured the hosts capitalised on a dominant performance on Saturday after a 1-1 half-time scoreline. With 19-year-old playmaker Singh running riot, the Phoenix bagged a third-straight win and might be as high as fourth by the end of round nine.
It's a contrast for John Aloisi's Roar, who are guaranteed to be ninth at Christmas after registering a fourth-consecutive defeat. Outplayed for long periods, the visitors couldn't complain about the result.