Two inspired moments from Goran Lozanovski - returning to action after a five week absence after he'd broken his jaw in the round three game against Auckland Kingz - seemed almost enough to give South Melbourne the win against Canberra Cosmos at Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday, but a last gasp equaliser from David Winnie in the fourth minute of injury-time gave Canberra the point its endeavours warranted.
Speaking of the last kick equaliser after the game, Cosmos coach Tom Sermanni said, "You always have a little bit of hope."
In the 12th minute Lozanovski had been fed a ball wide to the right-wing by captain Paul Trimboli - himself returning after injury, maybe overly soon, as he failed to re-appear after the half-time break. Cosmos seemed to have all threat covered. But Lozanovski is a clever enough player to create movement when no movement seems possible. He shimmied, then performed the action that players love to do and spectators never tire of - he nutmegged defender David Winnie and found a path to goal open up. His low shot, of exquisite quality, bent in at the far post.
Canberra then levelled following a period of the game when they were at least the equal, and arguably had the better, of South. From midway through the first half, and continuing into the early part of the second, Canberra had done well enough for the eventual equaliser not to have been a surprise. It came within nine minutes of the re-start from a de Jesus corner which was inadequately punched by Milan Udvaracz, South's new goalkeeper, and fell invitingly for Brian Hamilton at the edge of the area. Hamilton's shot safely navigated its way through a forest of Canberra and South Melbourne legs.
But Lozanovski's skills were once again the rock upon which South's amazing home form is anchored. Just after the hour mark, Jim Tsekinis, coming on along with George Goutzioulis for Trimboli and David Clarkson at the beginning of the second-half, had picked up a ball in the middle of the park and made a diagonal run to Lozanovski's wing. He exchanged passes with Lozanovski giving his more senior team-mate the opportunity to send in yet another of the dangerous series of crosses that is Lozanovski's trademark.
This one hit space at exactly the same time as the fast-arriving John Anastasiadis, who up until then had a quiet game, but whose header powered into the net.
The contest might still have gone either way, but a two-footed challenge by Daniel Watkins not caused referee Jeremy Blaney to produce the red card and leave Cosmos the handicap of playing out the remaining third of the game a player short. Watkins had only minutes earlier seen Blaney's yellow card, but the challenge was sufficient was a direct red, rather then the indirect as a double yellow.
The best moments of the rest of the match were South's, with good chances falling to Vaughan Coveny and Tsekinis, but without the scoreboard operator being troubled into further action.
With the crowd heading for the exits, counting another home win in their minds, Cosmos had a late corner. Michael Musitano swung it in, close to the goal-line, where Winnie was first to respond and bundle it in.
Winnie would be justified in thinking his goal at the death adequate pay-back for the Lozanovski nutmeg.
Disappointed South coach Ange Postecoglou said "I thought there were a couple of danger signs before (the equaliser)." Postecoglou said he'd need to review the tape to determine how Winnie was the one to reach the ball, rather than it being dealt with by his defence. "I'm disappointed at (goalkeeper Udvaracz) for the first goal," he said but declined to attribute blame for the second until his review.
Sermanni was, not surprisingly, considerably happier at the outcome. "I'm pleased we got a draw. We feel we've got a team this year that's very competitive."