PERTH Glory scored with the last kick of the game to snatch a 2-all draw with the Newcastle Jets at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night and put a major dent in the home-side's A-League play-off hopes.
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When Kosta Grozos curled a shot past the outstretched arms of Perth keeper Cameron Cook in 80th minute, it appeared as those the Jets were going to bank three valuable points.
But then, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, the visitor's struck.
Keegan Jelacic fizzed a corner to the front post for Ryan Williams. He got in front of his defender and glanced a header which somehow snuck in past a wall of Jets players.
Both goals the Jets conceded came from corners.
The draw ended the Jets' three-game losing streak and moved them to 25 points, above Western United into seventh on goal difference.
But it was another massive opportunity missed by the home side.
Jets players slumped to the ground at full-time as though they had lost.
"It was pretty disappointing because we should be winning this game," Jets coach Arthur Papas said. "We were a lot better than them and had some big chances that we missed as well. Two set pieces. The delivery was obviously good but there has to be accountability on how they are scoring those goals.
"We needed to close it out and we didn't. For us it feels like a loss. For them, it feels like a win."
It was Grozos' second goal of his career. Thomas Aquilina fired a cross into the box.
Perth defender Jack Clisby lunged to clear but only knocked the ball to Grozos on the edge of the box. The attacking midfielder hit a first-time shot which curled perfectly into the left corner.
Trent Buhagiar had put the Jets ahead with a header in the 36th minute.
His effort was cancelled out by a Trent Ostler header seven minutes after the break.
It was Buhagiar's best game for the Jets. Angus Thurgate was immense and Matt Jurman was strong at the back.
In the end, they again paid the price for sloppy defending.
Jelacic was outstanding for the visitors, who lost leading goal-scorer Dave Williams to a calf injury in the final training sessions and captain Mustafa Amini to illness on match day.
"At this point in the season we were searching for three points big time... he had a lot of hiccups this week," Glory coach Ruben Zadkovich said. '"There were boys playing out there on heart and character more than anything. Given those circumstances, it is another example of the belief in that dressing room."
Papas made two changes from 4-2 loss to Adelaide.
Keeper Jack Duncan paid the price for two unconvincing performances and was replaced by Michael Weier and Aquilina came in for Dane Ingham at right back.
It was Weier's first start since round six. Standing just shy of two metres, Weier is strong in the air. Both of Perth goals in the 2-all draw in the last encounter with the Jets came after Duncan failed to handle high balls into the box.
Zadkovbich made one forced change from the 1-0 upset over Wanderers, with Trent Ostler replacing the suspended Jordan Elsey.
The Jets were quick out of the box. They pressed high and moved the ball well.
Cook did well to deny Beka Mikeltadze at the near post in the eighth minute.
Two minutes later Jason Hoffman had a left foot shot in the box, but didn't have enough venom to beat the keeper.
At the other end, Adam Taggart was left unmarked at the back post but the cross was just behind the striker and he scuffed his effort.
It was end-to-end stuff.
Ostler benefited from a slip in the box by Hoffman in the 28th minute, but his firm effort couldn't beat Weier.
Both teams were in need of a killer pass.
And Japanese winger Manabu Saito provided it, whipping a cross from the left to Buhagiar at the back post. The winger flew like a salmon and drove a header into the bottom right corner.
In the eight previous games where the Jets had scored first, they went on to win seven and share the points once.
On the other side, in the 10 games where Perth have given up the first goal, they have come back to win just one.
The Jets had the better of the statistics at half-time. They feasted on 60 per cent of the ball, led the shot count 6-4 and corner count 5-3.
Zadkovich introduced Zach Duncan for Luke Bodnar at the break.
But it was one of the other young guns who put the visitors on level terms in the 52nd minute.
Clisby swung a corner from the right to the far post for Ostler, who got above Aquilina and headed back across the goal and into the corner.
Buhagiar had a great chance in the 71st minute but couldn't beat Cook from point-blank range.
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
