Substitute Daniel Stynes has scored at the death to earn Perth Glory a hard-fought comeback 1-1 Isuzu UTE A-League draw with Central Coast.
Mercurial striker Jason Cummings handed the Mariners the lead in the 58th minute but for a second consecutive match, after their hectic mid-week draw with Macarthur, the Mariners dropped two points from a winning position.
It leaves ninth-placed Central Coast’s finals hopes well and truly in the balance, while Perth remain anchored to the bottom of the table.
Perth were playing their first game since COVID-19 cases postponed two fixtures while the Mariners had a tight turnaround, with both teams needing to pick up points
Mariners goalkeeper Mark Birighitti was called into action early, making a brilliant athletic save to fingertip Glory defender Aaron Calver’s venomous strike over the bar in the 17th minute.
Bruno Fornaroli put an effort over the bar in the 34th minute and four minutes later, teammate Nick Fitzgerald’s block stopped Lewis Miller scoring a brilliant, instinctive backheel.
The Mariners cranked up the intensity in the second half and finally broke through when Marco Urena turned on the ball and expertly dinked it over the Glory defence for Cummins, who chested it down then slipped it into the bottom corner.
While Central Coast were generally on top, Perth came desperately close to equalising when Fornaroli rose highest and directed a powerful header goalward in the 80th minute, only for Birighitti to make another instinctive save
Central Coast’s Beni N’Kololo had the ball in the back of the net in the 88th minute but the would-be goal was chalked off for offside.
Deep into injury time, Perth equalised after a long ball caused chaos in the Mariners’ defence, who were preoccupied with Fornaroli and Andy Keogh.
Debutant Adam Zimarino worked the ball to Stynes, who coolly finished to snare Glory a point.
