The big winners of Round 27 were...
Adelaide United, who have featured in the 'losers' column in recent weeks after an eight-game winless streak (D2, L6).
It's therefore only fitting that they get the spotlight this week for their spirited and dogged 3-2 win over Wellington Phoenix in which they burst out of the blocks to a 2-0 lead and then had to work their backsides off again to regain the lead through Archie Goodwin in the 89th minute.
Outgoing head coach Carl Veart declared the victory "sums us up", praising their energy and determination but lamenting the soft mistakes at the back that continue to contribute to their hefty goals against count, which at 54 is just one behind last-placed Perth Glory.
They remain one point behind sixth-placed Sydney FC and with an inferior goal difference of -2 to +12, but their run home of Brisbane and Melbourne City (both away) is on paper a fraction easier than what the Sky Blues face.
Not long after this weekly wrap goes out to publication, the finals race could become a little clearer with the Reds to take on Brisbane Roar on Tuesday night in a season-defining away trip.
The big losers of Round 27 were...
Western United, who missed out on the opportunity presented by Melbourne City to move closer to the top two, which delivers an enormous benefit not only by way of a bye in the first week of the finals series but also the AFC Champions League Elite slot that Auckland FC are ineligible for as an Oceanian club.
It would have been a particularly confidence-denting loss to Western Sydney Wanderers, whilst it was just the first time in a 20-game period that they suffered back-to-back defeats in this competition.
Manager John Aloisi scalded his players by saying they "didn't deserve anything" from the 2-1 loss to his former employers Brisbane Roar and he publicly doubted whether they can climb back into the top-two, refusing to "look too far ahead".
Their season ends with fixtures against Auckland FC and Sydney FC, so if they were to earn enough points from those two tricky games to jump back above Melbourne City into second, they would be thoroughly deserving of the rewards.
Golden Boot Race: Round 27
Adrian Segecic, Archie Goodwin and Nicolas Milanovic all struck at the weekend to pull a little further away from the peloton.
A couple of veterans of the game, 35-year-old Kosta Barbarouses and 34-year-old Hiroshi Ibusuki, also recorded their tenth goals of the season at the weekend.
Goal of the Week
At the risk of someone trumping it in the Tuesday night game, we're already declaring Nicolas Milanovic's "something out of nothing" strike to be by far the most impressive goal of the round.