Melbourne Victory needed a match-winning hero. Step forward Nikos Vergos after the substitute scored two late goals off the bench to inspire a chaotic 5-3 win over Adelaide United in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
With the Original Rivalry showdown deadlocked at 3-3, Vergos came of the bench and scored in the 88th and 90th minutes to stun Adelaide at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
The Reds had led 3-2 in the 56th minute, having rallied from 2-1 down, before Victory produced a stirring comeback, fuelled by Subway Socceroos pair Nishan Velupillay and Daniel Arzani.
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With Ryan Teague in the stands after his Socceroos exploits in China, Velupillay and Arzani scored to give Victory a 2-1 lead following Adelaide youngster Jonny Yull’s first A-Leagues goal.
Quick-fire goals from Archie Goodwin and Zach Clough to start the second half turned the match on its head before Arzani converted a controversial 71st-minute penalty to restore parity.
Vergos was thrown into the action during the closing stages and it was a masterstroke from Victory head coach Arthur Diles as the Greek import responded with a pair of game-winning strikes.
After prevailing in the eight-goal shoot-out, Victory climbed up to fourth ahead of Western Sydney Wanderers on 36 points – two points behind Western United, while Adelaide remain sixth and clinging onto their spot in the top six amid their seven-game drought.
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Velupillay fired a warning shot to Adelaide when he flashed a header just wide of the post in just the third minute.
With a strong travelling contingent, Adelaide also caused problems at the other end and Stefan Mauk came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock five minutes later but a last-ditch block from Kasey Bos prevented a certain goal.
The Reds did get the go-ahead goal in the 12th minute through Yull, whose tremendous footwork created space to fire a powerful effort past Mitch Langerak.
Arzani levelled proceedings approaching the half-hour mark in a move started by Zinedine Machach, who beat two opponents in the centre of the field and the former ended the sequence with a brilliant curling effort into the back of the net.
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Bruno Fornaroli almost curled a shot into the far post moment later, though it was team-mate Velupillay that put the home side ahead in the 39th minute. His touch took the ball away from Bart Vriends on the edge of the box and the Socceroo produced a composed finish to beat James Delianov.
It took Adelaide just two minutes of the second half to get back onto level terms. Ethan Alagich looped a ball into the six-yard box and Goodwin was on hand to routinely head the ball into the back of the net – his 10th goal of the season, just one shy of Golden Boot leader Noah Botic.
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The topsy-turvy match continued after Machach was penalised for a handball inside the box nine minutes later and Clough dispatched the spot-kick expertly.
There was another penalty 19 minutes from the end and this time Victory benefited. Arzani went down inside the box under a challenge from Panagiotis Kikianis but no spot-kick was awarded as the Victory star appealed passionately. Following a VAR review, the decision was overturned and Arzani stepped up to score the penalty.
Victory finished strongly as substitute Alex Badolato forced a diving save from Delianov during the closing stages, while an unmarked Velupillay watched his header sail just over the bar.
Then, Vergos came off the bench to deal Adelaide the knockout blow with two goals in as many minutes.
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