Wolves came close to being a top six side tonight. But not close enough.
Power coach Nick Theodorakopoulos sang the praises of the Wolves team after this match. Which was a kind of sly compliment to his own team: a really, really good team even when playing poorly could beat a pretty good team playing above itself.
Wolves played so well they led on three occasions - though sometimes only briefly. And they went in at half time 3-2 ahead. Their coach John Turner thought if they'd played as well in recent games they could have extended their unbeaten run to 13.
Unfortunately for the Wollongong team, no matter how many mistakes the Power defence could make, its attacking players could always produce enough magic to secure the three points.
And what a match for the fans! So many goals, and among them two beauties. Jason van Blerk opened the scoring with a brilliantly swung shot over the Power keeper Clint Bolton. And Power star Andre Gumprecht hit a screamer in the second half to break the visitors' hearts.
Wolves kicked off on a patchy-looking pitch, with the sky overcast and the breeze cooling.
Starting for Wolves were van Blerk, coming back after injury, and Nick Sabljak, a midweek move from the Melbourne Knights. Playing perhaps his last games for Wolves was Nahuel Arrarte, who is soon off to join Michael Santalab at Malaysia's Johor Scorpions, after buying himself out of his contract when Wolves refused to release him.
Apparently Johor also were after Wollongong skipper Stuart Young.
Michael Beauchamp fronted for Power after making a hasty return from the victorious Olyroo squad.
van Blerk started wide on the left and dominated the first half and most of the pitch from that position.
Danial Cummins started the game as he often continued: by giving the ball away to Power players - this time to Lucas Pantelis who was sorted by Sabljak.
Sasho Petrovski, who started the game very brightly, broke from the centre of the pitch but also was stopped by Sabljak.
Then Petrovski and Ante Milicic were free together running into the Wollongong penalty area. Milicic tried to chip stand-in keeper Steven Angelov but sent the ball too high. Angelov on many occasions saved Wolves tonight. But his failure to hold the ball resulted in Wolves' downfall.
As soon as Power failed to score, Wollongong opened their account. Van Blerk got the ball free on the left, had plenty of time to approach Clint Bolton, and cool and collected as you please picked his spot and swung the ball over Bolton and into the net.
Could Wolves upset Parramatta twice this season? Not likely.
On a Power corner Angelov couldn't clear and fell to the ground. A Power player tried to shoot but Adam Hughes blocked.
Andre Gumprecht hit a lovely ball to Petrovski but Ben Blake stopped him.
In the sixth minute Fernando Rech ran at goal but was fouled by Sabljak. Pantelis shot over the bar.
van Blerk made a great angled run to the edge of the Power penalty area but the Power defence was good enough to deflect his touch-on for Chimaobi Nwaogazi.
Beauchamp was the just good enough to stop Young rounding him from the left after a neat ball from van Blerk.
Young and van Blerk were clearly enjoying each other's company, working quick passes and moving off one another. In one instance they made good progress down the right until Sabljak let them down.
Bobby Dragas looked to be successfully hounding Milicic but Milicic nevertheless got a shot away - saved by Angelov.
Gumprecht tried to cross from the right but was blocked by Shane Lyons. Lyons was apparently playing with an injury and was replaced late in the game, but, gee, for a relatively small guy he does well at left back. Power had a corner that was cleared by van Blerk.
The home side was losing on the scoreboard but winning on the pitch.
Milicic set up Petrovski for a shot that was blocked by Blake.
Wolves had a good spell and worked the ball down the right but lost possession through Cummins.
Parramatta had a good build up that ended with Petrovski chipping into the box but getting the spin wrong.
van Blerk made a good tackle on Gumprecht.
In the 17th minute Pantelis missed a pass (was it a dummy?) across the Wollongong penalty area from Petrovski but Milicic was behind him and easily put away Power's first equaliser.
The Parramatta fans justifiably got excited every time their team had the ball in the final third. They always looked dangerous. Always had players free. There was beautiful flowing movement of yellow shirts making overlapping runs. One minute it was Rech and Travis Dodd, the next it was Dodd and Gumprecht.
Wolves left Young and Nwaogazi forward but they seemed to have little chance against Alvin Ceccoli and the height and Beauchamp and Paul O'Grady.
In the 22nd minute Rech had a shot well saved by Angelov. Then Bolton held the ball high over van Blerk's head under a high cross.
Dodd hit a cross far too long and the crowd released a long collective sigh.
Bolton came out of his area to deny Young a touch.
Lyons tried an attacking one-two with Arrarte but Arrarte couldn't provide a good enough return.
Young played down the left sideline to Nwaogazi who was fouled by Beauchamp. Arrarte hit a poor free kick.
van Blerk was brilliant winning a free kick and quickly playing it to Nwaogazi who did surprisingly well keeping it in and crossing.
On the half hour Milicic headed a half chance over the crossbar on a cross from the left.
Two minutes later Bolton messed a short pass to Ceccoli and gave Arrarte a chance to shoot wide.
Angelov saved at the feet of Milicic and Beauchamp was good intercepting a cross from Young on the left.
Wollongong almost had a couple of scrappy chances on the edge of the Power penalty area. Power seemed to have lost some composure and made Wolves look like they were still in the game.
van Blerk was enthusiastic chasing Gumprecht who still got in a cross from the line on the right of goal. But Power had no-one ready in the box.
Wollongong had a throw at the other end - van Blerk taking over Michael Hawrysiuk's long throw duties. Young headed the ball on and Sabljak shot wide.
Gumprecht was wide on the right in oceans of space but ended up shaking his fist in exasperation that no-one would give him the ball.
Lyons speed then caught Power out. In the 39th minute he robbed the ball from the toes of a Parramatta player near the half way line and fed van Blerk who beat two players on the left and lobbed to the far post where Nwaogazi had plenty of time to score an awkward goal.
I was still writing that when Power equalised through a Rech header.
Then it was Wolves' turn to score a quick reply. Young beat two Power players to what looked to be a poor touch on from Nwaogazi on the left. Turning away from Ceccoli, Young crossed to Sabljak who marked his Wolves debut with darn good finish.
Power continued to fall in a heap. Dodd ruined a good move forward with a long switch straight out over the opposite sideline. Then Ceccoli kicked an easy ball out on the right side in defence.
Gumprecht tripped Young on the edge of the Power area. Hughes shot after the ball across the box was blocked.
Power started the second half very aggressively. van Blerk couldn't stop Rech running at the penalty area and Power had a shot high over goal.
Then Pantelis crossed from the left. Angelov saved the first shot from Milicic but Petrovski had enough time to pick his spot and equalise for Parramatta again.
Pantelis played wide to Peter Zorbas who crossed for Steven DeGiovianniello (on for Arrarte who wasn't having his best game) to head clear.
Young collected the ball on his chest in the right side of the Power penalty area but then shot way, way wide. Soon he was putting enough pressure on the keeper to force a mistake as Bolton and a defender went for the ball. When they bungled Young hit his chip shot too long.
Milicic played to the left for Zorbas who worked with Pantelis but still couldn't beat Blake.
In the 62nd minute Angelov saved at the feet of Milicic again after Cummins gave a hospital pass that set Power away on a good break.
Hughes blocked a Parramatta cross but conceded a corner. Angelov punched clear under pressure but only as far as Gumprecht outside the right corner of the penalty area. Gumprecht hit a ripper and Power were ahead.
Young and van Blerk vainly kept looking for each other and the touches that would put Wolves back in the game.
O'Grady was good stopping a Hughes cross from the line but Wolves got a corner.
After substitute Matt Thompson's shot was blocked (he had better opportunities to his left), Cummins brought down Dodd in the Wollongong penalty area.
Power fans were not happy a penalty wasn't awarded. They were less happy when Wolves immediately won a free kick at the other end after DeGiovianniello missed a good chance and was then fouled. van Blerk hit over the crossbar.
Beauchamp made a good run and put over a good cross but Cummins headed clear (for all his foibles, Cummins does seem to get himself in the right place to block shots and crosses) but Power soon regained the ball and Rech shot wide.
Cummins was replaced by Jacob Timpano (not unusual). But, living dangerously, Turner also replaced Lyons with forward John Majurovski. The game had died off, though. Both sides seemed played out.
O'Grady made a good tackle on Young and set Power on the attack. Milicic set up Rech whose shot was blocked by Angelov. Rech's second attempt hit the back of the net but the goal was disallowed.
Power broke again but Milicic was offside.
Rech in front of goal pushed to Milicic on the left. Milicic beat his marker to make space for a shot over the goal. Then he was replaced by Mark Bridge.
Game over. Three points to Power. But perhaps it wasn't quite the encouraging win they wanted.
Theodorakopoulos was very aware of the dangers presented by Parramatta's errors. But he said they were forced into some of the errors by Wolves playing "exceptionally well". He said, "They are a very good side. They belong in the six. John has done a marvellous job and he should be very happy that he is in command of a very good soccer team."
He said Power played three up front but that did not mean they shouldn't defend. "We were beaten in the first half solely because they executed better than us and because we were forced into errors.
"We created five chances in the first 21 minutes and seven in the first 34 minutes. All I know is that we beat a very good soccer team tonight. And we created between 12 and 18 clear-cut chances. Definitely a penalty. That would have eased any pressure, at 5-3."
Correspondingly, Turner said he was not disappointed getting beaten 4-3 by such a good side. But, "We saved our best performances for the better sides." He was disappointed because Wolves needed the points to get into the final six but they had shot themselves in the foot in the last couple of weeks.
He attributed van Blerk's lower profile in the second half to Power's tactics. They played the other side of the park. "When they stopped him from playing, they virtually stopped us from playing."
Theodorakopoulos agreed, saying the second half was Pantelis', playing up Power's left side.
Both coaches said it was an exciting game with lots of goals that should have pleased the fans. "If you are going to attack for goals you are going to concede goals," Turner said.