The post-game pictures summed it all up. Players slumped down on the ground at the end of 101 incredible minutes, on their haunches after one of the wildest games in A-Leagues history – a jaw-dropping 4-4 draw.
32′: Perth Glory 1:0 Adelaide United
34′: Perth Glory 1:1 Adelaide United
51′: Perth Glory 1:2 Adelaide United
60′: Perth Glory 2:2 Adelaide United
78′: Perth Glory 2:3 Adelaide United
90+3′: Perth Glory 3:3 Adelaide United
90+6′: Perth Glory 4:3 Adelaide United
90+9′: Perth Glory 4:4 Adelaide United
“You just call it the greatest game on earth and that’s exactly the reason why we love football so much,” Paramount+ co-commentator Phil Moss said.
It was the game that kept on giving on Sunday, capped by a 99th-minute equaliser from Adelaide’s teenage sensation Nestory Irankunda after the Glory had struck twice in stoppage time to somehow lead 4-3.
Ryan Williams and Luka Jovanovic traded goals in the opening 45 minutes before the HBF Park contest erupted into life in the second half.
A landmark goal from Craig Goodwin – a club-record 50th for Adelaide in the A-League Men – and Ryan Kitto’s rebound had Adelaide 3-2 ahead heading into the third minute of stoppage time.
Then, the Glory – with the finals hopes vanishing – scored in the 93rd and 96th minutes via Adam Zimarino and Adam Taggart to flip the match on its head at the death.
But there was one last twist as Irankunda – who became broke the record for most goals scored before the age of 18 (eight) – popped up in the ninth minute of stoppage time to rescue a point and secure just the second 4-4 draw in the 18-year history of the competition.
Both of those 4-4 draws involve Adelaide and both happened this season.
“When you think you’re dead and buried, you’re brought back to life, you’re flying and then it’s all ripped away, all of it in stoppage time,” is how Paramount+ commentator Robbie Thomson said.
It was a game of mixed emotions for coaches Ruben Zadkovich and Carl Veart.
“The defending, from both teams, I was just talking to Mark Milligan… defending seems to be a dying art for a few young people and they have to learn the hard way,” Zadkovich told Paramount+, with his Glory team seventh and three points outside the top six heading into the final round.
“The defending wasn’t great – it was a little bit the good, the bad and the ugly… To concede four goals at home isn’t good enough.
“…But I’m still proud of my team’s character, spirit and mentality when we were down three times and came back three times and got ourselves in front. There’s a lot of resilience in that group and belief in what we’re doing.”
Adelaide boss Veart added: “It’s disappointing to score four goals away from home and not get the three points. Fairly happy with the overall performance just at times our defending in the box wasn’t good enough.”
History made by ‘magic’ Nestory
The Nestory Irankunda hype train reached another level on the back of his match-saving exploits for Adelaide.
In doubt for the game due to illness, Irankunda came off the bench in the 63rd minute and he was a handful as soon as he entered the field.
The 17-year-old had the final say, scoring his fifth goal of the campaign and producing a celebration to match to send Adelaide back up to second position.
He now has eight goals in the A-League Men before his 18th birthday, eclipsing the record held by another former Red, Mohamed Toure – who is playing for Reims’ reserve team in France.
“He is a magic player and he is very dangerous,” said Adelaide midfielder Kitto, who scored. “I’m very happy he is on our team because playing left full-back, if he was coming on fresh at right wing every week, it would be a scary prospect.
“He is a huge weapon for us. I’m extremely proud of how far he has come along. He has all the potential in the world. He is a magnificent talent.
“He is in the right place here under Carl (Veart) so we will keep developing him.”
Heartbroken Glory
90 minutes, 90 emotions. Well in this case, 101 minutes and 101 emotions.
The Glory opening the scoring in the 32nd minute courtesy of Ryan Williams before Adelaide hit back with two unanswered goals to lead through 51 minutes.
Perth and Adelaide again traded goals as the Reds took a 3-2 lead heading into the 93rd minute.
However, the Glory never surrendered as Adam Taggart and Adam Zimarino combined to not only equalise but give the hosts a shock 4-3 lead only to be denied at the death.
“It’s heart-breaking to be honest,” two-goal Glory forward Taggart told Paramount+.
“It was obviously our chance to try and make a late run for the top six again, pending results.
“A few good goals from our team. We fought back really well. Adelaide are a good side and they’re going to finish when they have those chances and we give them that space.”
Goodwin’s big statement
It was a memorable afternoon for Adelaide captain Craig Goodwin.
Goodwin took his season tally to 11 goals, to go with a remarkable 11 assists.
The Socceroo also reached 50 league goals for Adelaide – the first player to do so in the club’s history.
“In the end very frustrated. Perth, first of all, is a very difficult place to come. Every team who has come here have struggled,” Goodwin, who is nursing a groin problem, told Paramount+.
“But to be 3-2 up and concede two sloppy goals is very frustrating. In the end, lucky to get a point out of the game but we should never get to that stage.”
Adelaide are second and on track to secure that top-two berth heading into the Round 26 finale against Central Coast Mariners.
“I really believe in this team that we can do something special,” Goodwin added. “We just need to iron out those details and we will be just fine.
“This season is as open as it’s ever been for top of the table and a top-six place. Every fixture for the last two or three weeks has been nail-biting.
For us, it’s about building on the last two seasons with Carl at the helm. We’ve managed to put ourselves in a position we’re second spot is in our hands. Two seasons ago we were fifth, made the semi-final and lost 2-1. Last season, lost in extra time after finishing fourth in the regular season.
“If we can finish second, it gives us a really good chance to build on what we’ve done. This season we’ve improved on last season. But it’s those small details.
“As we’ve seen, I think personally, there’s not a team that when we’re at our absolute best, no one can match it with us.”
Match report – AAP
Adelaide United salvaged a point from one of the most dramatic games in A-League Men history on Sunday evening, a 4-4 draw with Perth Glory featuring three goals in stoppage time.
As the 90 minutes expired at Perth’s HBF Park on Sunday evening, Ryan Kitto looked set to end up as the match-winner for the Reds, with his 78th-minute strike giving his side a 3-2 lead.
But Adam Zimarino’s refusal to give up on a chance saw him bring the game back to parity in the 93rd minute, before Adam Taggart’s storming run and shot three minutes later placed the hosts in an unlikely ascendancy.
Yet it was Nestory Irankunda who would have the final say, with the young phenom finding a yard of space in Glory’s penalty box in the 99th minute and threading a shot beyond Cameron Cook.
Returning home with a point, Carl Vearts’ side remain second on the table heading into the league’s final round but now have just a one-point lead over third-placed Central Coast and fourth-placed Western Sydney.
The Mariners will travel to Coopers Stadium to play the Reds on Friday evening, kicking off at the same time as the Wanderers play away against premiers Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
Glory, meanwhile, are three points behind sixth-placed Wellington, with their clearest path to finals football a Phoenix loss to Macarthur on Saturday afternoon followed by a two-goal win over Western United later that evening.
In a series of thrusts and counter-thrusts, Luka Jovanovic erased Ryan Williams’ 32nd-minute opener for Glory before Craig Goodwin made it 2-1 to Adelaide after 52 minutes, only for Taggart to equalise on the hour.
Meeting Goodwin’s cross-cum-shot, Kitto seemingly then won it, only for the stoppage-time madness to unfold.
