Adelaide United youngster Panagiotis Kikianis scored his first A-Leagues goal to rescue a point for the Reds in a dramatic 3-3 draw with Perth Glory that truly had it all at Coopers Stadium on Friday night.
The hosts led 2-0 in the first half, then trailed 3-2 late in the piece as Perth shaped to record a win for the ages on the road. All looked lost for Adelaide when Stefan Mauk missed a penalty in the 87th minute before Kikianis diverted a Giuseppe Bovalina header over the line deep into stoppage time, to snatch a point for the home side in the six-goal epic.
“What a finish to a remarkable match of football,” said Paramount+ commentator Robbie Thomson as the final whistle blew.
“Time to suck in some deep breaths!
“A thrilling, rollercoaster ride of football. Friday night at Coopers (Stadium) is back!”
The Reds burst out of the blocks with goals to Hiroshi Ibusuki and Zach Clough setting the tone for the home side, but an Adam Taggart strike on the half-hour mark brought Glory back into the contest.
Super-substitute David Williams scored his fourth goal off the bench this season just two minutes after coming on to level the scores before Glory academy product Josh Rawlins, on return from parent club FC Utrecht, put Perth ahead with just eight minutes left to play.
The Reds wasted the chance to get back on level terms when Stefan Mauk’s 87th-minute penalty was saved by Sail to keep Perth’s 3-2 lead in tact.
But then came late, late heartbreak for Glory as Kikianis brushed home a 98th-minute equaliser, denying Perth a second win in succession and a third in four games.
Reds coach Carl Veart made sweeping changes to his starting XI in search of a response to last weekend’s 4-0 drubbing at home to Central Coast, and after a bright start his side showed the required reaction.
Ibusuki opened the scoring inside 10 minutes with a clinical header off Ryan Kitto’s in-swinging delivery to get the action started at Coopers Stadium.
Glory sought an instant reply and almost found it through teenage forward Daniel Bennie who took a delightful touch to control an aerial through ball from Taggart and rounded goalkeeper James Delianov – but poked his narrow-angled attempt off the post.
Glory’s hopes of equalling the ledger took a hit when Aleksandar Šušnjar dragged Ibusuki down in the box to prevent the Adelaide striker from leaping to meet a corner delivery.
Referee Ben Abraham pointed to the spot, and Clough stepped forward to dispatch his penalty past Sail to give Adelaide a 2-0 lead.
Half an hour elapsed with the Reds well and truly in control before Taggart halved the deficit.
The Socceroos striker ghosted in at the back post to convert a flick-on from Giordano Colli’s corner – his 10th goal of the season.
Late in the half, Ibusuki came close to doubling his tally for the night with a creative flick through his legs off Clough’s early delivery. Ibusuki diverted the ball through his legs and toward the bottom-right corner but Sail produced a save to push the ball around the post.
Taggart spurned a big chance to find a leveller shortly after the break, fluffing his lines with a volleyed effort off Bennie’s flick-on header and allowing Delianov to save from close range.
On the hour mark came changes for both sides, as Veart brought Nestory Irankunda off his bench on the winger’s 18th birthday, to become the youngest player in Isuzu UTE A-League history to reach the 50-game milestone.
But it was 35-year-old Glory substitute Williams who made an instant impression. Just two minutes after his introduction off the bench, Williams fired home Perth’s second of the night to draw the visitors back on level terms after trailing 2-0 in the first half.
Irankunda did his best to follow Williams’ lead with a goal off the bench, sizing up the target and lashing a long-range attempt only centimetres over the bar.
But after coming from two goals down, Perth sniffed a go-ahead third. Bennie hit the post in a nearly-moment for the visitors before Rawlins hammered Perth into the lead on his return appearance to his boyhood club.
Glory’s joy would prove fleeting as the Reds were sent to the penalty spot once again after a handball in the box from Luke Bodnar.
But as Stefan Mauk stepped forward to take the spot kick, Perth keeper Sail produced a heroic save down to keep his side’s 3-2 lead intact.
Sail’s clutch stop looked to be the difference until the 98th minute when Kikianis bundled home the equalising goal. Colli attempted to clear the ball after it snuck past Sail but the officiating team adjudged the ball had crossed the line before his intervention, and the goal was allowed to stand.
Heartbreak for Perth, relief for Adelaide – and for the fans watching in the stands and at home, the full-time whistle brought an end to their entertainment after yet another breathless, box office night at Coopers Stadium.
