Olympic Sharks had to overcome a sub-standard ground, a massive card count and a lack lustre performance to retain the National Soccer League lead with a 3-1 win over Melbourne Knights at Toyota Park on Sunday.

The match was punctuated by one red and nine yellow cards and a controversial time delay ruling by referee Con Diomis against Knights' keeper Martin John.

Diomis penalised the keeper for taking longer than six seconds to clear the ball and the resulting free kick was put away by Hiroyuki Ishida to give Olympic an unexpected 39th minute lead.

In other matches, Perth Glory edged out Parramatta 2-1, Sydney United beat Auckland Kingz 1-0, South Melbourne and Newcastle finished 1-1, Brisbane defeated Northern Spirit 3-2 and Marconi upset Wollongong 4-2.

Melbourne Knights created a glut of first half chances and should have held at least a 3-0 lead midway through the opening session.

Olympic doubled its lead three minutes into the second half when Tom Pondeljak floated the ball into the goal off the far post but Knights immediately pulled one back through substitute Henry Fa'arodo.

Olympic striker Joel Porter wrapped up the scoring one minute from time when he broke away, rounded the Melbourne keeper and tucked the ball into the net.

"I gave the players four days off last week and they were a bit flat. I made four changes which was a bit of a gamble but I've got some big games coming up," Olympic coach Gary Phillips said.

"The field was disgusting where they killed the winter grass and relaid the area.

"The time delay free kick was one of those things that happen and the referee probably took the rules to the strictest point."

The match faded away in the second half as Olympic gained control with the referee issuing four yellow cards against the home team and another four and the dismissal of Antun Kovacic for the visitors.

Perth Glory consolidated second place with its late win over a determined Parramatta at Perth Oval.

All of the action came within a five minutes second half spell when Scott Miller gave Perth a 1-0 lead in the 74th minute.

Kosta Salapasidis equalised for Parramatta within one minute and David Tarka grabbed the points for Perth four minutes later.

Newcastle United stayed just ahead of South Melbourne in third place on the ladder after halting South's run of six straight home victories.

United will go into the New Year just ahead of South on goal difference with mixed feelings - happy at taking a point away from Bob Jane Stadium but ruing some misses that could have vaulted it clear of the home side.

Newcastle seized the initiative with a goal in the sixth minute when Joel Griffiths turned his markers and shot from long-range into the bottom left corner.

The visitors paid the price in the 73rd minute when Bill Damianos' free-kick was floated toward defenders Patrick Kisnorbo and Robert Liparoti at the back-post and the ball rebounded off a tangle of bodies and into the net.

Sydney United ended a barren run with a much-needed victory over the Football Kingz at Edensor Park.

An 11th minute goal from midfielder Anthony Doumanis was enough to settle a scrappy contest and hand United a victory which pushes them up to fifth place on the table.

The result was a huge relief to United coach Branko Culina, who had watched in frustration as his side had slumped to three consecutive defeats, conceding ten goals in the process.

It was a typical all action performance from the livewire Doumanis, whose combination with striker Brendon Santalab was a feature of the match.

The other hero for the home side was goalkeeper Vanja Ivesa, whose penalty stop late in the game denied the Kingz a share of the spoils.

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