Mulvey worried Wanderers might pinch Premiers Plate

Mike Mulvey hopes to take advantage of rival clubs' AFC Champions League commitments after his own side slipped up in the race for the Premiers Plate.

Brisbane Roar coach Mike Mulvey hopes to take advantage of rival clubs' AFC Champions League commitments after his own side slipped up in the race for the Premiers Plate.

The Roar suffered a second successive loss for the first time this season on Sunday, going down 1-0 at Melbourne Heart after losing at home to the Newcastle Jets by the same scoreline last week.

The league leaders are now just four points clear of second-placed Western Sydney, but Mulvey is hopeful a gruelling schedule of ACL and domestic fixtures will take its toll on the Wanderers.

'A team at the top of the table can lose to somebody down below because it's just not your day,' he said.

'We've had two off days now in two weeks. At some clubs that would be a crisis. Tomorrow morning when we wake up the sun will be shining. It'll be a blue sky in Brisbane. We'll still be four points clear of second. We'll be eight points clear of third.

'Eight to 10 weeks ago I was asked a question about where we were on the table. I said that the most important thing was having points in the bank.

'Mariners, Victory and Wanderers have all got to go and do an awful lot of travelling in the next few weeks. And that's very, very difficult. So points in the bank will count for something. So when we come out the other end of this little blip, if you want to call it that, we should be in good shape.'

Mulvey did however admit his team's nearest challengers will be encouraged to see the front runners drop more points.

'The thing we've done right now is put ourselves in a dogfight,' he said.

'Four points, they'll fancy it now because we've got to down there at some stage. But there's a lot ... to come before it's the moment of reckoning.'