Ben Halloran bags brace as Adelaide United down Brisbane in A-League

A Ben Halloran brace delivered Adelaide United a 2-1 victory against an injury-hit Brisbane Roar and second spot on the A-League ladder.

Brisbane's loss at Adelaide's Coopers Stadium in a feisty Friday night fixture was compounded by injuries to in-form striker Adam Taggart, Eric Bautheac and Stefan Mauk.

Mauk and Adelaide's Taylor Regan were sent off for separate incidents in the second half and coaches Marco Kurz and John Aloisi had a heated sideline spat.

"The emotions from both sides were very high because both teams wanted to win," Adelaide boss Kurz said.

"Also a lot of trouble ... with the hard-tackling but that's man sport. That is normal."

Roar marksman Taggart, who had scored five goals in five games entering the fixture, limped from the field with a groin injury after 35 minutes.

Bautheac hobbled off in the 55th minute after a knock to his right knee in a collision with Reds defender Regan, who was later sent off for a face-grapple on Mauk.

And Mauk was given a straight red-card for a studs-up tackle on Adelaide's Craig Goodwin in added-time which sparked dispute between Reds boss Kurz and his Roar counterpart Aloisi.

Mauk was knocked out in the incident and Aloisi was angered that Adelaide players tried to lift the Roar recruit from the ground while he lay prone.

"There were certain challenges that you don't like to see in a football game," Aloisi said.

"But the red card that Stefan Mauk received, I thought both players went for the ball with their studs up -- I don't know why Stefan Mauk got the red card and nothing happened to Craig Goodwin."

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Halloran slotted the initial two goals of the game before Brisbane's Henrique revived the visitors with a poacher's goal.

Halloran scored his first with a crisp first-time left footed clip in the 43rd minute and, four minutes after halftime, added another with a tap-in.

But Adelaide had to endure a nervy final 25 minutes after Henrique, who replaced Taggart, replied for Brisbane in the 67th minute when sliding onto a low cross from fellow sub Dylan Wenzel Halls.

Adelaide played the final 20 minutes with 10-men after Regan was sent off after an unseemly melee involving a mass of players.

Regan, who had earlier been yellow-carded, placed his fingers on the face of Mauk and copped another yellow after the scrap was reviewed by the video assistant referee.

In added time, Mauk was sent off after a crunch with Goodwin.

The Brisbane midfielder was knocked out in the collision which prompted an argument between Kurz and Aloisi.