Macarthur Bulls striker Harrison Sawyer scored the first two goals of his Isuzu UTE A-League career to rescue his side a dramatic point in a 3-3 comeback draw with Newcastle Jets on Friday night.
Newcastle raced to an early two-goal advantage as Eli Adams and former Bulls striker Lachie Rose wreaked havoc at Campbelltown Sports Stadium but a four-goal second half led to the points being shared in Macarthur captain Luke Brattan’s 300th Isuzu UTE A-League game.
Sawyer brought Macarthur back into the contest with his first-ever A-Leagues goal before Adams struck again to make it 3-1. But a barrage of Macarthur pressure produced two late goals for the Bulls, with Tomislav Uskok halving the deficit once again before Sawyer doubled his tally with a 95th-minute equaliser.
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The Jets led 2-0 after just seven minutes, and it was former Macarthur forward Lachie Rose who put the visitors on top with a goal just 66 seconds after kick-off.
Thomas Aquilina picked out Rose in the box with an inviting cross and the Jets striker did the rest with a header buried into the top-right corner. Rose elected not to celebrate as his Newcastle teammates came from far and wide to celebrate the early goal.
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Five minutes later, it was 2-0.
Adams doubled the advantage with a scooped finish over Macarthur’s debutant goalkeeper Alexander Robinson, having played a role in the build-up play from within the Jets’ defensive half.
Callum Timmins’ first-time ball from deep in defence met Adams’ driving run behind Macarthur’s backline and from there, the young midfielder did the rest to give Newcastle a two-goal lead.
The Jets were superb through the opening 15 minutes and Lachie Rose was in the thick of the action. Already with one goal to his name, Rose looked to add to his tally with a rasping shot from distance that was well-saved by Robinson, and another attempt soon after that bent just wide of the top-left corner.
Half an hour elapsed with the Jets still in control but in his 300th Isuzu UTE A-League game, milestone man Luke Brattan came close to halving the deficit for the hosts with a left-footed effort angled toward the bottom-left corner after his initial free-kick attempt deflected back into his path.
The Jets took their 2-0 lead into the second half, but Bulls substitute Harrison Sawyer breathed new life into the contest with his first Isuzu UTE A-League goal scored just minutes after coming off the bench.
Macarthur’s hopes of a comeback were momentarily dispelled as Adams produced another moment of quality to restore Newcastle’s two-goal lead.
Picked out by Lachie Rose, Adams sized up the target and buried his strike from the edge of the box off the post and into the back of the net.
Tomislav Uskok responded for Macarthur with a powerful header in the 82nd minute to set up a grandstand finish in Campbelltown.
The Bulls had all the momentum late in the game and pushed relentlessly for an equaliser.
As five minutes of added time began, the hosts had a glorious chance to earn a point when Marin Jakolis shot from close range but the attempt crashed off the crossbar.
Just when it looked like the Jets were set to cling on to a 3-2 win, Sawyer popped up again in the 95th minute with his second goal of the game to earn the Bulls a point in a classic at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
