Melbourne Knights' four-two win over last year's NSL Champions Wollongong Wolves at Knights Stadium on Sunday evening was just about enough to confirm Knights' participation in post-season Finals action. It was also enough to ensure Wollongong would not. Knights' captain coach Andrew Marth was confident Knights would fear no team were the club to confirm its place in the Finals. "People gave us no hope (last year) against Perth, but we were confident in ourselves," he said. "We can beat any team on our day."
Wolves' coach Ron Corry was not so sure however. "(Knights) can't go any further," he said making a brief post-match appearance. "I'm glad they (fancy their chances) - they've got to. But I don't see them going any further. Other teams will work out how to play them out of the game, and cut their left-side out."
Such topsy-turvy comments were entirely appropriate after the such a topsy-turvy game. Knights went ahead just before the half-hour when Joel Porter rifled a shot into the empty net after he'd outpaced Con Anthopoulos chasing a through-ball from Kresimir Marusic, and rounded Wolves' keeper Dean Anastasiadis.
Wolves deservedly levelled just after the second half resumption, but then stood stunned as Knights retook the lead within a minute.
Stuart Young had goaled from 30 metres following Naum Sekulovski's outrunning of Roddy Vargas. Sekulovski's shot cannoned off Knights' goalkeeper Martin John but fell handily for Young who shot home under little pressure.
"I said to Roddy after the game that as a defender, you've always got to be cautious and safety's always the first measure," said Marth. "Roddy tried to out-pace Sekulovski but Sekulovski was a bit too quick. Then there was a mix-up between (Vargas) and (Johns)."
Marth's despair surely turned to delight within seconds.
Knights' mercurial striker Toto Da Costa regained the lead in Knights very next possession with a crashing left-foot volley from the edge of the penalty-area following an Ivo De Jesus cross which deflected off two Wolves' defenders.
Wolves once again levelled with just seven minute remaining, but - crazily - went behind again a minute later to another instant Knights' comeback.
Greg Sharland, introduced just a few minutes before, grabbed the equaliser when Knights failed to clear a corner, and allowed Wolves to exchange a number of short-passes inside the penalty-area. Young played the ball back to Sharland who side-footed home to the near-post, whilst all Knights defenders had covered the far.
"It was a short corner and only one guy went out," said Marth. "(Sharland) came all the way through and the shot went (between) my legs."
If Sharland was the hero for the equaliser, he was the villain for Knights' next goal, scored by Socceroo Steve Horvat with a left-foot shot from inside the penalty-area from Knights' very next possession. Sharland had slipped whilst in possession, gifting the ball to Horvat who was then buried beneath a pile of his celebrating team-mates.
Xheziar Sulemani then took the game out of Wolves' reach with a goal three minutes from time as Wolves pressed for the goal that would keep its season alive. Sulemani was unmarked as he took possession to the left of goal, and - spotting Anastasiadis off his line and stranded - chipped into the net.
"We were pushing players up to try to equalise," said Corry. "We had to chase the game. We were only playing with three at the back at that stage. We were always going to leave ourselves open to a break, especially to a team that's got good quick forwards."
In between the goals that were scored, there were opportunities for both sides untaken.
Sekulovski had an early chance when he took advantage of a fine diagonal ball from George Souris which carried over Andy Vargas and allowed him a clear path to goal. Sekulovski elected to lob John and chased the ball, hoping to turn it into the empty net, only to find the ball beating him to the goal-line and allowing him no angle to work with. His follow-up hit the side-netting.
Porter is reaching fine form entering the Finals, and just after the quarter-hour he had a sharp chance at the near post, but found Anastasiadis' coverage was better.
And before the last few dramatic moments, Sulemani could have given Knights a margin of comfort when he was on the end of a fine cross from Ivo De Jesus, but watched his shot cannon off the bar with Anastasiadis nowhere near.