Soccer: Injuries hamstring A-League hopefuls

Paul Ifill suffered a high ankle strain during the match against the Newcastle Jets. Photo / Getty Images

Injuries are taking their toll on many A-League teams and could prove decisive as the scrap for play-off spots hots up.

The Wellington Phoenix, without star striker Paul Ifill, who suffered a high ankle strain during the 4-0 thumping of Newcastle Jets, are not alone in turning their heads towards the emergency wards.

North Queensland Fury, the next team on the Phoenix radar - they clash in Townsville on Monday night - lost Dyron Daal before the kick-off of their Sunday home game with runaway leaders Brisbane Roar, taking their injury count to eight.

It told as the Roar ran out handy 2-0 winners, with Kosta Barbarouses scoring in the seventh and 76th minutes to take his season tally to nine - one behind Melbourne Victory's Robbie Kruse.

Roar coach Ange Postecoglou was happy with the points that took his side 10 points clear at the top of the table.

"We are in good position, that is for sure, we have been very consistent in our performances and results are following on but they don't hand out things, we need to finish it off," said Postecoglou. "The first half was scrappy, we got the goal and I think with the conditions maybe we were looking for a cheap victory."

Melbourne Victory took the points from a 2-0 home win over bottom-placed Perth Glory but no other joy from the encounter.

A serious hamstring injury to star striker Archie Thompson took the gloss off the win that stretched the Victory's unbeaten run at AAMI Park to five.

Immediately after scoring his goal, three minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half, Thompson grabbed his hamstring after leaping over Glory goalkeeper Tando Velaphi and having completed a well-crafted move started by skipper Kevin Muscat and featuring a moment of brilliance from his partner in goals, Robbie Kruse.

Defender Roddy Vargas sealed the three points for Victory with his 63rd-minute head from a Carlos Hernandez corner that beat Todd Howarth at the near post.

Thompson was not their only high-profile casualty.

Defender Matthew Kemp's 100th game celebrations were cut short when he came off with a suspected groin injury in the 34th minute, while playmaker Hernandez was carried off late in the game nursing a rolled ankle.

On the bright side, coach Ernie Merrick savoured back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

In the other game, Adelaide's minor premiership hopes took another blow when upstaged 2-1 by Melbourne Heart at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Sergio van Dijk gave the home side the halftime lead when he scored his ninth of the season a minute into added time at the end of the first half. With three minutes of ordinary time to play, the South Australians were still that one goal to the good. But then, in a late flurry, Simon Colosimo equalised in the 89th minute and John Aloisi dug the dagger deeper in the third minute of stoppage time to seal the victory.

Heart coach John van't Schip admitted he felt they were a chance to salvage a result the longer Adelaide's lead remained 1-0.

"We got into the game and the confidence was growing," said van't Schip. "The longer the game went on, we kept believing our game would get a good result or at least a draw."

After having their game at Skilled Park washed out, Gold Coast visit Brisbane on Boxing Day, while Central Coast play North Queensland in Gosford tomorrow night.