Sydney FC substitute Sebastian Ryall snatched a last-gasp equaliser to reignite his club’s A-League season and further frustrate Melbourne Victory with a 2-2 draw at AAMI Park on Thursday.
Not for the first time this season, Victory had a 2-0 lead when they inexplicably sat back and let a much more enterprising Sydney dominate the second half.
Goals to Bruno Cazarine in the 56th minute and Ryall’s equaliser from a goalmouth scramble in the 90th minute kept Sydney FC in the top six and left the Victory sitting four points outside.
The Victory conjured two goals out of nowhere in two minutes before halftime to stun the Sky Blues and looked set for a much-needed win.
After Sydney had looked the better side, Victory midfielder Isaka Cernak gave himself enough space for a low, long-range speculator, which went in to give his side an unlikely lead.
Then in first-half stoppage time, Sydney FC’s defence went to sleep and they paid the price.
Fullback Fabio rounded Michael Beauchamp on the left, shot from a tight angle to find goalkeeper Liam Reddy moving the wrong way to give his side a 2-0 lead at the break.
It should have been all over for the Victory when Archie Thompson was left one-on-one with Reddy but the goalkeeper made amends with a good stop to keep his side in the match.
Instead a mistake by Victory keeper Ante Covic let Sydney back in the match on 56 minutes, spilling an innocuous cross as Sydney striker Cazarine swooped to score.
Fabio then forced Reddy into another good save in the 66th minute, launching a free-kick on target for the keeper to bat away.
But the Sky Blues, with Nicky Carle outstanding in midfield, kept attacking the Victory and their resolve was repaid when ex-Victory defender Ryall bobbed up late to level the scores and devastate most of the 20,000-strong crowd.