A-League champions Melbourne City threw a two-goal lead away to draw 2-2 away at Adelaide United in their second game of the season.
City kicked their title defence off with a 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar in their opening match and looked set to make it two wins from two after goals from Jamie Maclaren and Andrew Nabbout gave them a 2-0 advantage after 61 minutes.
However, Adelaide struck twice in the closing stages, with Stefan Mauk halving the deficit before Ben Halloran grabbed a dramatic 90th-minute equaliser to stun City.
In commentary on Channel 10, Andy Harper described City’s play, turning possession over to Halloran in the 90th minute, as a “monumental muck-up”, while former Socceroos defender Luke Wilkshire couldn’t believe Tom Glover’s pass out from the back in the lead-up.
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“As a team, if that (playing the ball out from the back) is what you want to do, you’ve got to be on the same page,” former Socceroos skipper Mark Milligan said on Channel 10’s post game show.
Wilkshire retorted: “Paddy won’t be happy … playing it short in the dying minutes …”
Not in the last minute when you’re up 2-1 up!
Luke Wilkshire
The two-goal comeback came after Socceroo Nabbout produced a replica of his goal of the season from 2017-18, capping a sensational, busy performance, which included teeing up Maclaren for the opener.
But, in the final half hour, the game swung.
“The follow-up and reaction from the Adelaide players when Yengi goes through (for the first goal) – the City defenders are on their heels,” Wilkshire said.
Milligan added: “It was the same for both goals … reacting quickest.”
They looked like they wanted the ball more than City.
Mark Milligan
Elsewhere on Saturday, Sydney, who finished just two points behind City in second last season, slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Macarthur at home after an early Lachlan Rose strike.
Speaking on Paramount+, former A-League Championship winner Daniel Georgievski enthused: “He’s had a great start to the season, and the FFA Cup as well, he has started off bright.
“He is on a great wave … for him it is a great start for a young guy and will only get better with time.”
Macarthur are now level on points with table-topping City and Wellington Phoenix, who beat Central Coast Mariners 2-1, but are behind the pair on goals scored and sit third.
Gary Hooper scored for the second game running for the Phoenix in their home clash with the Mariners, who pulled one back through Marco Urena before Jaushua Sotirio fired in the winner.
The Nix are now unbeaten in 13 matches stretching back into last season and face Western Sydney Wanderers in their next game.
