Fury end GCU top-two hopes
Gold Coast United have squandered a chance to finish in the top two after it lost to the North Queensland Fury 2-1 at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday night.
The result also saw the hosts avoid the wooden spoon in what was their most inspiring performance of the season.
The Fury opened the scoring in spectacular fashion with livewire David Williams finding the net in the eighth minute.
Williams sprinted down the wing and with a thunderous strike caught the crossbar forcing Terry Cooke to shoot but he was denied by a defender.
Williams pounced on the rebound to slot in the goal and bring the crowd to their feet.
The visitors responded in the 63rd minute through Joel Porter after he ran on to a flick from Shane Smeltz.
Porter sprinted around the defensive line before driving the ball hard and low into the net.
The Fury's Terry Cooke sealed the victory in the 83rd minute with a header after a cross from Paul Kohler.
Meanwhile, Perth Glory has warmed up for their inaugural Hyundai A-League finals campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over the out-of-contention Brisbane Roar at ME Bank Stadium on Saturday night.
Thanks to goals from Scott Neville in the eighth minute and Scott Bulloch in the 73rd, the Glory cruised to the victory in a free-flowing and attacking game with both sides' destiny for the 2009/10 post-season already decided coming into the contest.
The Glory finish the season in fifth position with 11 wins and six draws from 27 matches, while the Roar end an eventful campaign on and off the pitch with eight wins and six draws.
They will finish either in seventh or eighth position depending on the North Queensland-Gold Coast result.
The Glory were without injured foursome Chris Coyne (thigh), Jacob Burns (hamstring), Mile Sterjovski (back) and Victor Sikora (thigh) but remain hopeful all will be available to take on Wellington at Westpac Stadium next weekend.
In the National Youth League, AIS drew with Gold Coast 1-1 and Sydney FC defeated Melbourne Victory 2-1.