As Lleyton Brooks reflected on his 94th-minute winner on Sunday, the Melbourne Victory winger saluted his father in the stands, giving him a big wave.
His father, Craig, was not at AAMI Park as a fan. He was working as a cameraman for Isuzu UTE A-League broadcaster Network 10. And incredibly, he captured the moment his son emerged an unlikely hero in a 2-1 triumph against Macarthur FC.
Lleyton Brooks came off the bench and headed home the winning goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time to lift Victory off the foot of the table and up to ninth in the standings ahead of the final round of the 2022-23 season.
As the 22-year-old celebrated his goal, having got on the end of Chris Ikonomidis’ inch-perfect cross, Network 10 commentator Simon Hill said: “How about this, being watched today by one of our cameraman who is his dad.
“How good is that. This is Lleyton Brooks’ father’s shot, his camera. I’m surprised it’s not shaking.
“What a moment for Lleyton Brooks. It is only his third goal in the competition and dad Craig got to film it for him.”
It has been a tough season for Brooks and Victory, who made the semi-finals in 2021-22 only to miss out on the top six this term.
Recruited from Brisbane Roar in 2020, the winger has had to stay patient under Tony Popovic.
Entering Sundays’ contest, Brooks had not scored a goal in any of his 10 substitute appearances, which totalled 146 minutes.
However, he came off the bench in the 89th minute and scored five minutes later to open his account and give the Victory crowd something to celebrate.
“It’s been a tough season for us and I’ve missed a lot of chances this season,” Brooks told Network 10 post-game. “I haven’t been clinical enough. In the second last game of the season, it feels good honestly.”
Insisting Victory want to end the campaign with pride, he continued: “Throughout the year at training, it’s been tough. A lot of competition in the team. A lot of great players. I just have to stay motivated and keep pushing.”
For head coach Popovic, after watching Brooks claim all three points for the home side, he said: “He owed us.
“He’s been coming on in the last few months and having some really good opportunities.
“I’m glad he showed the composure and quality to finish it off.”
Macarthur goalkeeper Filip Kurto almost kept out Victory to earn the Bulls a point.
The Polish star produced an incredible save to deny Bruno Fornaroli, getting down low to somehow thwart the Uruguayan-born Socceroo before Brooks popped up at the death.
“Again in the last minute,” Kurto reflected. “The points run away from us. I don’t even know what to say.”
“Just for me, it means nothing,” he said of the save. “I wish it was the last save.”
“The boys fought hard for 95 minutes,” Bulls head coach Mile Sterjovski added to reporters.
“It’s just heart-breaking – I think three weeks in a row now we’ve conceded in injury time.”
Match report – AAP
Lleyton Brooks proved Melbourne Victory’s unlikely hero, scoring a last-ditch winner in a 2-1 defeat of Macarthur FC to help his club edge away from the A-League Men wooden spoon.
Fernando Romero’s goal in the third minute handed Victory the lead at AAMI Park on Sunday afternoon.
Bulls skipper Tomislav Uskok headed home in the 66th minute and Victory peppered the goal without reward until Brooks headed home in the 94th, five minutes after entering the fray.
Attempting to avoid a second wooden spoon in three seasons, Victory (28 points) sit ninth, in advance of Perth (28), Brisbane (27) and the bottom-placed Bulls (26) ahead of facing the Roar in their final match of the season next Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon, amid reports Victory were set to part ways with marquee attacker Luis Nani, on-loan striker Romero laid down his marker for a permanent stay.
The lively Paraguayan set the wheels in motion for Victory’s opener when he slipped through Ben Folami and kept running.
Folami went on a wonderful weaving run then cut the ball back to Kadete, who lifted a ball to the front post for Romero to head home.
There was a humorous moment in the 27th minute when Romero received a yellow card for leaving the field to go to the bathroom without the referee’s permission.
Fortunately for Victory, Romero requested permission to return to the field, otherwise he could have received a second booking.
Macarthur made a wasteful Victory pay when Oliver Jones flicked on Craig Noone’s front-post corner to the back stick, where Uskok bullied past three defenders to nod home.
Fornaroli appeared to have restored Victory’s lead with a lovely dink in the 74th minute but he was ruled offside after a VAR review.
He and team-mates Chris Ikonomidis, Connor Chapman and Jordi Valodon missed great chances while Fornaroli unsuccessfully appealed for a late penalty.
But with their last roll of the dice, Victory struck.
Ikonomidis lofted a tantalising ball across goal and Brooks leapt highest to power home the winner.
