That's how it is in the drive to the line at the end of the season, when points are precious and games often turn into tense, taut affairs with clubs battling for the premiership or a spot in the finals.

Melbourne Victory have, as coach Kevin Muscat admitted, played much better many times  this season than they did on Friday night when they defeated Central Coast Mariners 2-1.

But in some of those games (away to Perth, away to Sydney in particular) Victory fans might argue that their performances did not get the reward they deserved, so they, and Muscat, are happy to pick up three points when they might not have merited one.

As Muscat's cross-town rival John van 't Schip said 24 hours later after his side scraped a home win against Brisbane Roar, a team can't play nice football all the time: a rare example of unanimity between the two clubs.

Victory haven't actually played all that well since the A-League resumed after the Asian Cup break.

There have been a couple of good performances - the 3-0 win inspired by Fahid Ben  Khalfallah against Western Sydney Wanderers and the win by a similar scoreline over Melbourne City spring to mind.

But the other matches have been laboured performances or games in which Victory have not been able to finish things off once they get into a good position.

They struggled to break down a really well-organised and structured Central Coast on Friday evening as the visitors, much improved under interim coach Tony Walmsley, made themselves hard to beat.

The week before Victory had less than 40 per cent of possession against Adelaide in a tremendous game at Coopers Stadium, although Muscat's men were good enough on that occasion to snare a late equaliser for a share of the spoils.

Before that they had lost concentration at crucial stages and allowed themselves to be upset by Andy Keogh's offside goal when they drew 1-1 at home to Perth, while they had been unable to keep their lead against Wellington when Ernie Merrick's league leaders came from behind to win 3-2 at AAMI Park, the first home match at the venue that Victory have lost this season.

It hasn't proved as critical as it might have been as competition at the top is very tight and those in contention are all capable of beating each other on any day, so all teams are dropping points.

Victory remain the authors of their own fate as they sit second on the table with a game in hand of all of their rivals.

They can take a giant step towards securing the A-League Premiers Plate next Sunday when they face Wellington Phoenix in a blockbuster at "the Cake Tin".  Ernie Merrick's team, weakened by its international withdrawals, crashed 3-0 at home to Sydney last Sunday and are now just a point in front of Victory, Perth and Sydney.

Victory are highly reliant on their glittering array of striking talent to pull them out of the fire when they need to make something happen.

On Friday night it was mercurial Brazilian midfielder Gui Finkler who weighed in with a brace of beautifully struck goals, on both occasions showing wonderful technique to curve the ball round defenders and past the outstretched arms of Mariners keeper Liam Reddy.

Victory need to get more goals from star man Besart Berisha.

He works hard, competes for everything and draws defenders, creating space for his teammates. All are tremendous virtues, but a front-line striker needs to be on the score sheet regularly and Berisha has only netted twice in the past seven games - both times, co-incidentally, in their easy wins over City and the Wanderers.

He is, however, a big-game player — as his grand final goals for Brisbane testify — so Victory will be happy enough if he can deliver on the greatest stage of all over the next six weeks.

Muscat will get a boost in the run-up to the finals when Kosta Barbarouses, one of the fab five (along with Berisha, Finkler, Ben Khalfallah and the evergreen Archie Thompson) returns from an injury-enforced absence. The Kiwi wide man has had his best season in navy blue and like Berisha will be keen to make a finals impression.

Thompson remains an important figure despite his advancing years. The former Socceroo retains his sharpness and instinct for goal, not to mention a terrific first touch as he showed when he netted the leveller in Adelaide, fastening on to Finkler's precision pass and beating Reds keeper Eugene Galekovic to tuck into an empty net.

Thompson will be rising 37 when the next A-League season kicks off but wants to stay at Victory and is chasing a new deal. A few more goals on the road to the finals could well determine his future.