Perth Glory delivered one of the turnarounds of the season to stun Melbourne City 4-3 in a hectic goal-fest that sent the Liberty A-League finals race down to the wire.
Midfielder Rhianna Pollicina’s goal in the 33rd minute looked set to deliver City a 1-0 win and seal their finals berth – instead they could yet miss out altogether.
Perth’s Sadie Lawrence and Hannah Blake struck in the 70th and 71st minutes to give the Glory a 2-1 lead, before Hannah Wilkinson equalised in the 72nd.
Hana Lowry and Cyera Hintzen’s strikes in the 81st and 87th minutes gave the Glory a 4-2 lead, before City full-back Julia Grosso’s 91st-minute goal made for a show-stopping finish.
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City had 30 shots and nine on target to Perth’s seven shots (four on target) in the costly loss.
Only Western United (36 points) and Sydney FC (34) are locked in for finals, with four clubs in the hunt for the final two spots.
Dario Vidosic’s City (29 points) sit just ahead of fourth-placed Victory and fifth-placed Canberra (28 points apiece).
Perth (25 points) have a game in hand on all three, facing Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar away in their final two matches.
Victory travel to Wellington to take on wooden spooners the Phoenix while City host Canberra.
City dominated from the outset and recorded 15 shots to Perth’s sole effort in the first half, albeit largely without reward.
City took the lead when Perth goalkeeper Sarah Langman spilled a tame McNamara shot straight into the path of Pollicina, who took a touch and coolly tapped home.
The Glory had to start boom striker Hintzen on the bench after she dealt with a knee issue during the week.
Perth burst to life when Hintzen was introduced in the 59th minute and hit back from a corner 11 minutes later when she headed on Lowry’s ball to the back post for Lawrence to equalise.
A minute later, Melissa Barbieri turned the ball over to Blake and the Kiwi spotted the City goalkeeper off her line and sent it back over her head.
City hit back when Wilkinson buried a shot into the top corner.
But Perth regained the lead when Hintzen assisted Lowry for their third goal, then squeezed between two defenders to score their fourth.
Langman made multiple late saves while City believed they had the ball cross the line in the 85th minute and appealed for a penalty for a foul on Holly McNamara in the 88th.
Grosso coolly scored late to keep the game alive but City were unable to nab a late equaliser.
