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Striker Murray was just one of five multiple goalscorers across the weekend as the NPL Queensland warmed up for its final round of fixtures.
Western Pride 2 (Drager 9', 32')
Moreton Bay Jets 2 (Brownlie 67', 76')
Two of the league's leading spearheads in Western Pride's Peter Drager and Moreton Bay's Royce Brownlie locked horns with two goals each in Saturday's only game.
Pride were unable to turn Drager's first-half double into three points as the Jets roared back late to take a point from North Ipswich Reserve thanks to Brownlie's double.
Drager's pair were a lesson in clinical finishing as first he pounced on a sloppy pass out of the visitors' defence before later showing a turn of speed belying his height to latch onto a ball in behind.
Brownlie meanwhile showed nous to nod a 67th minute corner home and then snatch a point for the sixth-placed Jets with a scorching finish inside the final fifteen minutes.
CQFC Energy 3 (Fraser 84' Crowley 90' Miller 90+3')
QAS 0
Central Queensland rushed in three goals inside then final ten minutes against the QAS at Rugby Park to snatch back-to-back victories for the first time season.
CQFC won just their third game of the year in last weekend's 4-2 defeat of Western Pride and Sunday afternoon proved to be another uplifting occasion as they overran the only side below them on the table.
Kevin Fraser was first on the score sheet for Energy, finishing brother James' assist from close range and Braedyn Crowley sealed the points with a second before stoppage time.
Young striker Jordan Miller continued his eye-catching form deep into stoppage time with the hosts' third and his fifth in as many matches, helping CQFC put a five-point gap on the Academy.
Sunshine Coast FC 2 (Barlow 49', 56')
Brisbane Strikers 0
Alex Barlow slotted two dead-ball strikes in seven minutes to see Sunshine Coast prevail 2-0 over rivals Brisbane Strikers at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday.
Though his goals were the difference between the two finals contenders they came with a slice of assistance from the away side.
Barlow's inward curling free-kick in the 49th minute made Strikers 'keeper David Chambers the visitors' villain as he was caught unsighted in the sun and let the set-piece sail though his hands while Alex Henderson's foul on Nico Bechar allowed the left-footer to convert his second from the spot.
Fire rocketed four points clear in third with the victory and appear likely to visit Brisbane City, the team they beat 6-1 in Round 20, in the first week of finals while Brisbane Strikers must make use of their catch-up matches to rise from fifth into finals.
Palm Beach Sharks 3 (Lucas 29', 31', 47')
FNQ FC Heat 2 (Beverley 51' Morrison 65')
Palm Beach relied on Chris Lucas' hat trick to hold onto three points over FNQ Heat at Mallawa Complex on Sunday despite a two-goal Heat revival.
Midfielder Lucas was the beneficiary of a breakaway to size up and score with acres of space just prior to the half hour, then netted his second two minutes later. The through ball was played into the gaping holes between Far North Queensland defenders. A reoccurring scenario this season.
Lucas latched onto another defence-splitting pass shortly after the restart for his third and although Heat's Charlie Beverly and Cameron Morrison cut the deficit to one with a pair of headers it was enough for the Sharks to wriggle free of a six-match losing streak.
Northern Fury 2 (Cobbo 34' Eisenhut 55')
Brisbane City 4 (Murray 16', 76', 89' Pase 54')
Brisbane City bounced back from last week's despair as Antonio Murray's treble shot down Northern Fury in Townsville on Sunday.
Murray's two late goals to go with a 16th minute opener was decisive in City not only pulling away from their hosts but also moving on from their shock 6-1 loss at home to Sunshine Coast.
The striker's first and Alistair Pase's sumptuous shot on the turn in the 54th minute were both cancelled out by the hosts but the pair combined for Roar trialist Murray to nod City back into the lead and eventually settle the matter with a neat finish late in regular time.
The impressive win retains City's place in second while Fury dropped one place to seventh.
Olympic FC 2 (Efstathis 16' Ingham 71')
Redlands United 1 (Robinson 54')
New NPL Queensland premiers Olympic FC landed a heavy blow on Redlands' finals chances on Sunday, breaking the Goodwin Park visitors' pressure to score a 71st minute winner.
Jai Ingham finished with aplomb from Jake McLean's lofted through ball to snap the resolve of a desperate Devils outfit who seemed the more likely winners after Nick Robinson's equaliser.
Olympic defender Nick Efstathis had drilled the opener from close range after McLean saw a shot blocked though the hosts' half-time lead only ignited a response from Redlands as the top-four hopes were on the line.
Former Strikers defender Robinson proved his prowess as a makeshift striker by finishing Reuben Way's header at the back post however the leveler and subsequent sustained pressure failed to materialist into a winner for Redlands and, after missing out on a point, are now outsiders to preserve their fourth spot.