Reigning champions Olympic Sharks continued to set the national soccer league pace, recording their ninth win in 12 matches with an impressive 3-1 defeat of Adelaide City.

With midfielder Troy Halpin influential and inspirational, the NSL's benchmark made short work of Adelaide City at Hindmarsh Stadium to put itself nine points clear of third-placed South Melbourne in the chase for the box seat going into this season's finals.

The top two sides at the end of the home and away season start the 10-week Swiss-style finals series in March with bonus points.

While Perth Glory remains second, South Melbourne pushed into a clear third with an impressive 3-0 defeat of finals aspirant Football Kingz at Bob Jane Stadium.

Veteran striker Paul Trimboli scored twice for South in a virtuoso performance, while goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic was outstanding between the sticks.

Rapidly-improving Wollongong Wolves thumped a clueless Melbourne Knights side 4-1 at Knights Stadium tonight to move into the top six.

Striker Stuart Young bagged a hat-trick, with the Wolves scoring twice early in the second half to put the result beyond doubt.

But coach Ron Corry was seething after the match over an off-the-ball challenge which forced midfielder Daniel Aliffi off the field to have nine stitches in a head wound.

Corry accused Knights player-coach Andrew Marth of elbowing Aliffi and causing the injury.

Referee Perry Mur took no action, while most onlookers didn't see the alleged incident.

"It isn't part of the game and shouldn't be," Corry said.

"You can be hard, you can be tough, but you should play in the spirit of the game."

The NSL and Wollongong will find it hard to take action over the alleged incident, with Soccer Australia's television partner Channel Seven not having any television cameras at the ground.

The struggling Brisbane Strikers made it two straight wins to climb off the bottom of the table with a brave 3-0 win over Sydney United at Edensor Park.

Northern Spirit's match against Parramatta was postponed because the Spirit are minus three players on Young Socceroos duty.

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