Melbourne Victory extended their unbeaten run to five matches in the Hyundai A-League after an entertaining 2-2 draw against Perth Glory at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Melbourne Victory extended their unbeaten run to five matches in the Hyundai A-League after an entertaining 2-2 draw against Perth Glory at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
A Carlos Hernandez penalty and Danny Allsopp’s close-range effort looked to have put Victory on the way to a second win of the season.
But a superb free-kick from Andrezinho and a Shane Smeltz header saw Glory leave with a point.
It all came with a man less for the visitors, who had Liam Miller sent off just before half-time.
Coach Mehmet Durakovic made two changes to the team that drew 0-0 at Central Coast, with goalkeeper Ante Covic returning from suspension and Hernandez welcomed back after international duty.
Despite the visitors making the faster start, Hernandez went closest to opening the scoring after eight minutes.
The Costa Rica international flashed a 25-yard free-kick inches wide after being fouled by Glory captain Jacob Burns.
Ian Ferguson’s men settled in well at a venue at which they have never won, with midfielder Adam Hughes putting a header onto the bar after a quarter of an hour.
Yet, the energetic Thompson turned the game in Victory’s favour eight minutes before the break.
After a Hernandez pass released him on the counter-attack, Thompson wrong-footed Joshua Risdon before being brought down just outside the area by Miller, who was adjudged to have denied the forward a clear goal-scoring opportunity and given his marching orders.
Hernandez put the free-kick wide, while left-back Fabio had the only shot on target of the half when his deflected effort went straight at Glory shot-stopper Danny Vukovic.
Victory’s two most dangerous players combined again in the 52nd minute as a raking Hernandez pass found Thompson.
The 33-year-old used his pace to angle towards goal, earning a penalty after Bas van den Brink was ruled to have brought him down.
Hernandez stepped up and coolly sent Vukovic the wrong way for his second goal of the season.
The hosts doubled their advantage five minutes later when Allsopp netted his first of the campaign.
Rodrigo Vargas won a header down from a Hernandez corner, and Allsopp was on hand to tap in from close range.
Glory’s comeback started thanks to a wonderful Andrezinho free-kick on 71 minutes.
Covic got a hand on the substitute Brazilian’s curling shot over the wall, but it finished in the top corner.
Glory continued to push for an equaliser, and they got it through Smeltz.
The New Zealand striker got on the end of a Todd Howarth cross from the left to head in at the back post in the 87th minute and snatch a late point.
Melbourne Victory 2
(Hernandez 53(pen), Allsopp 58)
Perth Glory 2
(Andrezinho 71, Smeltz 87)
