Breathtaking Finale: Last-Minute Equaliser Earns Glory a Point in Thrilling Six-Goal Encounter

In an exhilarating six-goal encounter on Friday night, Perth Glory and Central Coast Mariners played out a thrilling 3-3 draw, with a 93rd-minute equaliser securing a point for the visitors.

The scoring was opened by Mariners defender Jessika Nash in the 19th minute, but Perth turned the tables early in the second half with a brace from Sarah O’Donoghue, giving them the lead at Industree Group Stadium.

However, Central Coast quickly regained the momentum, with Annalise Rasmussen and Tiana Fuller netting two goals within eight minutes, putting the Mariners ahead 3-2 with 20 minutes remaining.

Just when it seemed the Mariners would secure all three points, Tijan McKenna struck in the third minute of stoppage time to equalise for Perth, leaving the match ending in a dramatic draw.

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In Gosford on Friday, Central Coast keeper Sarah Langman faced her former team, Perth, and was forced into a crucial early save to deny her old club.

McKenna unleashed a powerful shot from distance towards the top-right corner, but Langman’s quick reflexes prevented the young midfielder from scoring a stunning goal.

The Mariners responded with a well-executed short corner that resulted in some chaos in the Glory’s defensive area. After a flurry of blocked attempts, Nash capitalised on a loose ball, firing it into the top-right corner to give Central Coast the lead.

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Rasmussen nearly extended the lead to 2-0 shortly after, but Glory goalkeeper Casey Dumont made a superb double save to keep her team in the contest.

Trailing 1-0 at half-time, Perth struck back quickly after the restart, pulling ahead with two quick goals from O’Donoghue. The first was scored directly from a set piece.

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Riding high after her first goal, O’Donoghue quickly added a second with an impressive finish under pressure from Langman, giving Perth an unexpected lead.

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But that was just part of the excitement from Friday night in Gosford.

Only six minutes after O’Donoghue’s go-ahead goal, Rasmussen brought the Mariners back level with a precise finish during a counter-attack.

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Rasmussen’s equaliser set the stage for Tiana Fuller, who came off the bench to score and put Central Coast back in front at 3-2. Fuller wasted no time in making her impact felt, slaloming past Dumont to finish into an empty net just six minutes after her substitution.

Fuller appeared destined to be the hero of the night, yet McKenna had other plans. The 20-year-old midfielder latched onto an attacking move initiated by Dumont’s long ball, slotting it past Langman into the bottom left corner to secure a dramatic point for Perth at Industree Group Stadium.