Schalke moved up to third in the Bundesliga with a workmanlike performance to beat struggling Hertha Berlin 2-0.

Kevin Kuranyi's 100th Bundesliga goal put the Royal Blues in front on the hour mark and a stoppage-time penalty from Rafinha sealed the win.

Berlin put up a brave fight as they went down to their 12th defeat of the season with Adrian Ramos missing a glorious opportunity to earn them a draw, but it was not their night as they also lost Christoph Janker to a late red card.

The defeat means Hertha Berlin will certainly end 2009 at the foot of the table since they trail 17th-placed Nurnberg by seven points with just two games remaining.

Schalke enjoyed the better of a first half played in wet conditions as the roof of the Arena AufSchalke had been left open, and the rain poured in.

But Berlin held firm and grew in confidence as the first half progressed without their goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny having anything serious to deal with.

Schalke's only chances were off target with Ivan Rakitic firing over and Joel Matip heading wide.

The home side went ahead in the 59th minute when a corner evaded everybody but Lukas Schmitz swung the ball back in from the other side of the field.

Marcelo Bordon headed the ball back across goal where Kuranyi nodded it over the line from point-blank range.

Berlin realised they had to try some attacks of their own, and with their first serious incursion into the Schalke penalty area, they could and perhaps should have levelled.

Manuel Neuer parried Lukasz Piszczek's shot out to Ramos, who had the whole goal to aim at, but volleyed high and wide.

It was not Berlin's night, just like it does not look like it will be their season either, and Janker was sent off for his second yellow card in the 86th minute.

To rub salt into the wound, Rafinha doubled Schalke's advantage from the penalty spot after Vicente Sanchez had been fouled by Steve von Bergen in stoppage time.