A last-gasp goal from Josh McVey and an amazing second-half comeback has seen Brisbane Roar record a 4-4 draw against Adelaide United in the National Youth League at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday.
Trailing 4-1 after 64 minutes, the Roar stormed back into the contest and two goals in three minutes of injury time saw them snatch a point.
Several deadly free kicks from captain Luke Brattan opened up the game for the visitors.
His last free kick was blocked by substitute goalkeeper Cody Larkin but the deflection went to ground and McVey had no trouble scoring the equaliser from close range in the last play of the game.
McVey also scored the team’s first goal at 62 minutes while Brattan found the back of the net from set pieces in the 66th minute and the first minute of injury time.
United has made a habit of blowing leads at home this season but remains in second spot on the table courtesy of the one point it collected against the Roar.
However, it will have to revisit some of its defensive strategies after being badly exposed in the second half.
The three points appeared to be in the Reds’ keeping when they scored twice in the opening 30 minutes of the match and then extended their lead after the break.
But from that point the Roar lifted and three goals in six minutes (two to the visitors and one to the home side) breathed life into what was looming as a one-sided result.
Adelaide took the lead in the fifth minute when a Francesco Monterosso attempt rebounded off a defender before Joey Wright swooped on the loose ball and drilled it into the left-hand corner of the net.
Brett Rayner then doubled the advantage in the 27th minute when a long midfield ball set up a one-on-one battle with goalkeeper Matt Acton.
The duo met the ball on the full with Rayner managing to get some body on it – the deflection bobbling across the line from about five metres out.
It didn’t take long for Adelaide to increase its lead in the second half with Evan Kostopoulos finding some space in the box and toe-poking the ball to the left of Acton at 47 minutes.
That was the turning point for the Roar who refused to be bullied into submission.
Their first goal was scored when a flat Brattan free kick was headed home by McVey from only a few metres out.
Adelaide then responded when play resumed with a well-timed Kristian Sarkies pass releasing Monterosso to register goal No.4 with a curling effort from within the box.
Two minutes later Brattan got involved again – this time his free kick from just outside the ‘D’ went the distance beating the defensive wall and Larkin’s right hand.
Brattan’s golden run continued in injury time with another free kick finding its way through some Reds traffic to narrow the margin to just one goal and in the final frantic moments of the clash McVey bobbed up again to force the stalemate.
Adelaide United 4 (Wright 5, Rayner 27, Kostopoulos 47, Monterosso 64)
Brisbane Roar 4 (McVey 62, 90, Brattan 66, 90)
@ Hindmarsh Stadium
