Victory grab a point
A late goal by Rodrigo Vargas earned 10-man Melbourne a 1-1 Hyundai A-League draw against the Wellington Phoenix at Westpac Stadium on Friday night, while Newcastle was too strong for the Reds in Adelaide.
Tim Brown's 57th minute header, after Nick Ward had been sent off for a second yellow card, had looked to have been enough for the Phoenix until they were undone by some sloppy defending at the set-piece with four minutes to go which allowed Vargas to steal in and head home the equaliser.
The result may have seen the Phoenix equal Sydney FC's A-League record of 14 games unbeaten at home but that will be little consolation given they should have won the game.
The result puts Melbourne six points clear of Sydney, although the Sky Blues have a game in hand, while the Phoenix have slipped out of the top six following their ninth draw of the season.
In Friday night's other match, Newcastle continued its recent impressive form with a 2-0 victory over Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Coming off a big win over Sydney FC a week ago, the Jets withstood everything the desperate Reds could throw at them, and the visitors' superior composure and conversion shone through, with skipper Matthew Thompson and Jin-Hyung Song coming up trumps with a goal apiece.
Adelaide had a number of genuine chances and more possession than Newcastle - the home side's intent and energy couldn't be questioned, especially compared to the Reds' first half against North Queensland last week - but their wastefulness and lack of direction proved costly and finals now seem a forlorn hope.
The result leaves the Reds rooted to the bottom of the table, while the Jets have moved up to sixth place at the expense of Wellington.
Earlier, in the National Youth League, Adelaide put in a superb performance to beat Newcastle 5-2 at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Francesco Monterosso fired a brace, while Inseob Shin, Matthew Mullen and Joel Allwright also scored in the rout.