Sydney FC could not have left it any later to salvage a point from a pulsating game at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.
Queensland Roar had scored from a goal four minutes into the second half from Charlie Miller, who was allowed to shrug aside no fewer than four Sydney defenders and thunder a shot just inside the left post for a lead that lasted until Stuart Musialik bobbed up in the area to lash home his first goal for his new club with what was virtually the last kick of the game.
Ironically the two goal-scorers were also the only players on either side to pick up cautions, in each case four minutes before they found the net.
"John (Kosmina) told me in the dressing room at half time I was going to bag a goal tonight and that was went through my head when the ball suddenly came to me right at the end of the game," said Musialik at the post-match press conference.
Queensland were devastated by the late equaliser as they had done well to lead and played some excellent football, but Sydney, too, played well and probably deserved the draw in the final analysis.
Miller was given a golden opportunity to seal the game for his team in the 90th minute when Popovic turned over possession close to goal but Miller took his chance far too casually and blasted the ball well wide of the target from close range.
Some fast-and-furious football was played for much of the ninety minutes. Quality passing and great mobility was the Queensland hallmark as a side well marshalled by Craig Moore and debut making defender, ex Queensland State League player, Matthew Mundy, blotted out the threat of John Aloisi and Alex Brosque.
Steve Corica was also largely nullified and it was mainly through the efforts of Shannon Cole and Robbie Middleby that the home side made its most impact.
Make no mistake, this was a quality game of football and one neither side deserved to lose.
The two coaches had conflicting views on which was the superior side, John Kosmina claiming his Sydney team had dominated the first half and that Queensland were probably fortunate to get even a point, while old sparring partner and former Sydney City team mate from their playing days, Frank Farina, wanted to know which game John was watching as he asked his goalkeeper, Liam Reddy, "did you have a shot to save in the first half, mate?"
The passing and movement of the ball by Roar was outstanding and that only two cautions were handed out indicates the players' focus on playing football.
It may be a cliche - but the game was a winner this time!
A one-handed save from Clint Bolton only 12 minutes in from a Reinaldo Da Costa shot had come moments after Shannon Cole and Alex Brosque had combined to threaten danger to the new Queensland central defensive pairing of Craig Moore and Mundy who controlled things together superbly.
"Where has this guy come from?", everyone was asking as the game wore on. Mundy was a revelation and another example of how the State Leagues can throw up valuable players all the time as Cole's international call-up illustrates.
Every Queensland player weighed in with a good performance and there were few bad ones on the home side either, though Brosque and Aloisi found it hard to get anything out of the Roar defence.
Seo Hyuk-Su, Roar's defensive-minded midfielder, with occasional creative bursts, crossed brilliantly for Serginho van Dijk in the 15th minute only for the import to miss his connection with the ball by mere inches. Queensland was on top and it's hard to see Kosmina truly believing anything else, based on those early forays.
Van Dijk also headed just wide in the 20th.
Roar's defence managed to clear confidently after Brosque and Aloisi had combined in the 26th with a brisk exchange of passes close to goal.
A free header from Sydney skipper, Tony Popovic, in the 27th could have done some real damage but the ball flew wide.
Then having looked comfortable in the first half, early daydreaming crept into Sydney's game by the 49th minute.
Miller had four players around him, but none in front of him, as the path to goal simply opened up like a chasm ahead.
He strode through the gap and blasted his shot beyond Bolton to silence the home crowd.
The second half was as exciting as the first.
Cole was still taking all the free kicks and corners but he was getting in behind the defence and crossing well, too. He also added another string to his bow by taking long throws, not a feature of his game that had been highlighted before.
Brosque headed wide from a Cole cross at the hour mark and then the closest Sydney came to an equaliser was when Brendon Santalab came on and found some space 25 yards out. In characteristic fashion he drove a high shot towards goal but unlike some previously successful efforts this time the ball skimmed the crossbar, but only by enough to swear by.
Popovic lost the ball to Miller as the game moved into three minutes of stoppage time, but the Scotsman was far too casual as he had a goal at his mercy from an angle much easier than Matt Simon had to deal with for Central Coast 24 hours earlier. Miller fired well wide and high into the sky as well.
No wonder the striker, who has five goals from his seven outings, was so devastated when Sydney equalised two minutes later.
Most of the Roar players threw themselves on the ground in agony when Musialik scored at the death.
Again it was a long throw from Cole, nodded on by someone anonymous, that did the damage. The ball fell in front of Musialik who rifled it into the net past Liam Reddy who had made no mistakes all night. The only mistakes were at the end by Miller it would seem.
Not enough people were there to see the drama unfold, though! 12,000 plus is not a brilliant turnout for a mild night in a game between two of the top four sides in the Hyundai A League.
We must do better. The players probably did their very best and can offer little more to entice the stay-at-home brigade.