Roar striker Besart Berisha celebrates after scoring a penalty goal against Melbourne Heart at Suncorp Stadium. Picture: Bradley Kanaris Source: Getty Images
THE battle for the remaining two spots in the A-League top six has been reduced to four teams after Melbourne Heart's late-season capitulation continued at Suncorp Stadium.
Needing a win to remain in contention for a finals berth, the Heart slumped to their fourth-straight defeat, losing 2-0 to Brisbane Roar.
With one round remaining, the Heart are stranded on 27 points, making it mathematically impossible for them to contest the playoffs.
The Roar's win took them to 32 points and lifted them into fifth spot on the A-League ladder .
Sixth-placed Sydney, who visit Brisbane on Thursday to take on the Roar, are also on 32 points but have a far inferior goal difference.
Also alive in the battle for fifth and sixth spots are seventh-placed Perth Glory and eighth-placed Newcastle Jets.
Both the Glory and the Jets are on 31 points, but Perth have a 10-goal advantage over Newcastle in terms of for and against. The Glory finish their regular season at home against Adelaide United, while the Jets host table-topping Western Sydney Wanderers.
Brisbane's finals destiny is firmly in their own hands after their easy win over the hapless Heart, who continued their miserable away form.
Roar midfielder Mitch Nichols and Melbourne Heart's Marcel Meeuwis compete for the ball at Suncorp Stadium. Picture: Bradley Kanaris
The Roar grabbed the lead in the 12th minute from the penalty spot after a clumsy foul from young defender Sam Mitchinson on Ivan Franjic.
Albanian international striker Besart Berisha converted the spot kick to score his 13th goal of the season.
The Roar then took complete control against the visitors, who surprisingly lacked desperation despite knowing anything less than a win would not be enough to keep their season alive.
Former Brisbane goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne made two good saves to deny Thomas Broich in the 17th and 24th minutes.
But after being given far too much space by the sleepy Heart, Brisbane's German star had the last laugh 14 minutes before half-time with a sizzling 25-metre strike that was too good for Redmayne.
Mitch Nichols, back in the starting side at the expense of Dutchman Stef Nijland, should have made it 3-0 in the 38th minute but somehow failed to hit the target from inside the six-yard box after being found by Franjic.
The Roar made two changes to the side that started in the previous Sunday's 1-0 loss to Central Coast Mariners.
Striker Besart Berisha celebrates his goal with his Roar teammates . Picture: Bradley Kanaris
In the absence of Jade North, in camp with the Socceroos, regular left back Shane Stefanutto was shifted to the centre of defence, with teenager Corey Brown brought in for just his second A-League start.
The other change was the return of Nichols for Nijland, who has failed to fire since joining the Roar in January on loan from PSV Eindhoven.
The Heart were weakened by the absence of first-choice central defensive pair Simon Colosimo and Patrick Gerhardt, captain Fred, and midfielder Jonatan Germano.
BRISBANE ROAR 2 (Besart Berisha 12m pen, Thomas Broich 31m) bt MELBOURNE HEART 0 at Suncorp Stadium. Crowd: 9,869. Referee: Matthew Gillett.
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