Perth Glory came from behind to draw 1-1 at Members Equity Stadium Perth tonight to deny the Central Coast Mariners the 3 points they were desperate for in promotion of their season long claims on the Premiers plate. The first half lead for the Coast came through a fine goal by John Hutchinson but this was cancelled by a late goal to Glory substitute Nikita Rukavytsya.
On a bright sunny afternoon in Perth three 'new' Season 3 Hyundai A-League players took to the park, Stan Lazaridis and Jason Petkovic returning for Perth, and Alvin Ceccoli, fomerly of Sydney FC via Japan came into defence for the Mariners. Also back for Perth was Jamie Harnwell, with formerly suspended Coast keeper Danny Vukovic and midfielder John Hutchinson coming back into a side rocked by two big losses in a row.
The Glory had only pride to play for, but the visiting Mariners needed the points to get back to the top of the table that they had occupied for most of the season.
The game started intrigingly enough with a collision between Vukovic and his defender causing a stir however the Olyroo 'keeper eventually gathered; and play went to the other end where a lurking John Aloisi was unable to gather a lob into the area but he threatened enough to have Jason Petkovic racing off his line to gather.
Perth pressed and in the 7th minute Paul O'Grady in a rare appearance didn't need to use his height as he dived to get his head on a cross - but it skewed wide of Glory's left upright.
By 15 minutes in, the Glory were dominating possession and the Coast were reduced to long balls on the break.
The Mariners were still a potent force though, and in the 19th minute John Aloisi just failed to get a boot to a cross over-hit by Saso Petrovski that screamed across the goalmouth.
The Mariners worked their way back into the game, and Alex Wilkinson, Mile Jedinak, and Petrovski all got into 'chance' positions without really testing Petkovic.
It was a long clearance from Coast keeper Vukovic, headed on by Aloisi, that found John Hutchinson running from the left into the area and he steered his shot with the outside of his right boot away from Petkovic and it nestled in the Glory net. 0-1
The second half was a bit scrappy with play ebbing and flowing but in the 65th minute just when the Mariners looked to be getting on top they poorly struck a free kick and lost possession. The ball was played out quickly to Glory substitute Nikita Rukavytsya, and he strode down the left flank sending in a curling shot that rebounded off the crossbar. It was an ominous sign for the visitors.
In the 69th minute Leo Bertos received a through ball, made an intelligent run and slipped the ball across goal where no-one had picked up Rukavytsya pushing through the defensive line, and it was a regulation knock in. 1-1
In the 82nd minute Stan Lazaridis's corner found Jamie Harnwell and his header went just wide.
Three minutes later substitute Adam Kwasnik sent over a cross from the right that was met by Aloisi's head but it too went wide.
A wonderful chance to Aloisi in the 86th minute was thwarted when his header was blocked by the intervention of Jamie Coyne - and it allowed Petkovic to touch it over the cross-bar.
Now Glory came at the Coast, with a Bertos speculator followed by a save at point blank range by Vukovic from Rukavytsya, followed by a punched clearance by Vukovic, and then Simon Colosimo blasting over.
The Central Coast are however back on top of the table, by one point, and are fixed into the finals play-offs - but they may rue the 2 points that got away in Perth in round 19.