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Moreton Bay also continued their good form with a well-deserved point in Townsville.
Palm Beach 3 (Lucas 36', 74' McKay 90+2')
QAS 2 (Klaasen 6' Bladen 25')
Palm Beach captain Justyn McKay scored deep into stoppage time to seal a momentous come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the QAS in Palm Beach on Saturday evening.
The Academy had won just once all season leading into the match but were eyeing a second three points when midfielder Jack Bladen doubled Nick Klaasen's early opener in the 25th minute.
However, Chris Lucas, the Sharks' top-goalscorer, gave the contest life nine minutes from half-time and it was the same man who equalised for the hosts in the 74th minute.
The stage was set for skipper McKay and though it didn't arrive until the 92nd minute, his late, late winner sealed a special comeback for Palm Beach, one which separates them ninth-placed Pride, and a heartbreaking loss for the QAS.
Brisbane City 1 (Frazier 41')
FNQ Heat 1 (Carroll 60')
Far North Queensland recorded perhaps their best result of the season at Brisbane City's Spencer Park on Saturday night, holding the title contenders to a draw.
It was only the second time City have been denied victory in eleven matches and it came courtesy of a Jamie Carroll goal on the hour, cancelling out Eric Frazier's eleventh goal of the season prior to the break.
Wins elsewhere for Olympic and Redlands meant Glen Volker's side lost ground in the tussle for top positions - though they still retain a match in hand - while Heat closed to within a point of ninth-placed Pride.
Northern Fury 2 (Robinson 52' Read 71')
Moreton Bay Jets 2 (Brownlie p.47', 69')
Moreton Bay extended their unbeaten run to five on Saturday night with a handy point away to Northern Fury, helped by a second consecutive brace from Royce Brownlie.
Although they twice surrendered leads in quick fashion, the Jets can take solace in the knowledge the hosts were unable to make any ground on the seven-point gap bridging the teams in sixth and seventh.
Brownlie's opener from the penalty spot shortly after the restart was cancelled out in five minutes when Mitch Robinson got in behind the visitors' defence, but Brownlie again put Moreton Bay ahead when he capitalised on a cutback.
Fury proved their resilience to equalise once more, this time through attacker Alex Read, though they couldn't improve the scoreline any further, likewise their position outside the top six.
CQ Energy 0
Redlands United 5 (Way 19' Close 24' Cokell 33' Barbarouses 34' Bow 60')
Four goals in the first 35 minutes blew away Central Queensland when they welcomed Redlands to Jardine Park on Saturday night.
The Devils' attacking quartet of Reuben Way, Ramone Close, Ryan Cokell and George Barbarouses all got on the scoresheet well before the half-time whistle, sealing a result which ... while also netting their twelfth goal in three matches through Scott Bow's 60th minute effort.
For Energy, however, the defeat comes as a disappointment following their promising last start draw against Northern Fury.
Redlands return to Brisbane next round when they visit Moreton Bay on the capital's northside, while CQ host another top-four team in Brisbane City.
Sunshine Coast FC 2 (Knight 8', 90+4')
Western Pride 0
Sam Knight's brace bookended a tight affair at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday as the winger's two goals for the hosts edged out Western Pride.
Last week's 2-1 defeat of the QAS brought an end to consecutive 1-0 losses for Pride but their goalscoring ills again surfaced against Fire, the stingiest defence in the league, who kept the Ipswich club to a sixth blank of the season, ensuring they have scored the equal-second fewest goals in the league.
Knight's first found the back in just the 8th minute and proved to be the main for the occasion when he secured victory for Sunshine Coast in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Fire next meet the QAS at Ipswich's Eric Evans Oval as Pride host Fury.
Olympic FC 6 (Heath 10' Byrne p.16' Smits 18', 29', 40' Ingham 27')
Brisbane Strikers 2 (King 51' McVey 53')
Olympic FC clicked into gear for the second half of the NPL season by putting six past Brisbane Strikers at Goodwin Park on Sunday evening.
Each of Olympic's half dozen came in the first half of the round's final fixture before Strikers cut the margin to four in three second-half minutes.
Winger Matt Heath was first in the queue for the hosts when he finished well across Strikers 'keeper Will Rockett in the 10th minute, followed shortly afterwards by Danny Byrne's penalty and Tim Smits' first of three.
Jai Ingham scored the goal of the game for Olympic's fourth in the 27th minute, smashing a first-time strike in off the post and into the far corner, though Smits wasn't to be outdone, adding another header and close-range tap-in to complete a first-half hattrick.
Wingers Greg King and Josh McVey pulled two back in quick time for Strikers when they both got in behind to finish with aplomb, but the action ended there as Olympic completed a double over their inner-city rivals.