Melbourne Victory have one foot in the A-League Women finals after snatching a draw against Canberra United at McKellar Park.
Dominated throughout and trailing 1-0 on 88 minutes on Saturday afternoon, up stepped Tiffany Eliadis to find a dramatic equaliser and put a huge dent in United’s finals chances with a beautiful strike.
Canberra looked on course for a massive result in the nation’s capital when substitute Kennedy Faulknor grabbed a goal on 72 minutes, but they’ll be kicking themselves for not taking earlier chances before Victory squared things up.
Victory’s fifth straight game without defeat retains their five-point gap over United in the race for fourth with just two regular-season games left.
It’s a devastating blow to Canberra, who would’ve moved within two points of the top four with a win and will now need a series of results to go their way to make the post-season.
“This group of players never ceases to impress me with their character and their togetherness, and this time of the year that sometimes is enough,” Victory coach Jeff Hopkins told AAP.
“I’m really proud of our team … it was unfortunate we have to play a game with such importance in the heat, but both teams really rose and rolled their sleeves up.
“They’re turning McKellar (Park) into a fortress again, which it always used to be, it’s a difficult place to come. Not many teams have come here this year and got away with anything.”
United had the better of the chances in Canberra’s sweltering conditions and took 18 shots to Melbourne’s five, but only Faulknor’s effort found the back of the net.
Faulknor, who’d been brought off the bench just minutes earlier, capitalised on a goalmouth scramble after her initial effort hit the post.
After three strong chances for a second goal – none better Grace Jale’s effort that cracked the frame – Eliadis showed composure to finish off Maja Markovski’s cross against the run of play.
Canberra striker Michelle Heyman easily could have stolen the points at the death, getting through on goal and fashioning a shot that struck both posts before being cleared.
Victory face Brisbane and Wellington to close the regular season and would seal a finals spot with a result in either.
That scenario could be further confused if Canberra’s appeal to a three-point deduction for making an unauthorised substitution is successful, with an outcome due in the coming weeks.
“Without the appeal going our way, we’re out of it. That’ll happen this week, hopefully we’ll know before our next match,” Canberra coach Njegosh Popovich said.
“It’s an old football cliche, they talk about a game of opportunities and chances and we had our opportunities and chances probably to win a couple more matches.
“Basically it’s a little bit out of our hands … we’re depending on some other results going our way.
“The main message is very simple, don’t give up on it, it’s still not over, anything can happen in football.”
