Lachie Wales rescued a late point on debut as Perth Glory held Newcastle Jets to a thrilling 2-2 Isuzu UTE A-League draw.
Clayton Taylor thought he had won the game for the Jets with his 78th-minute half-volley at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
Joel Anasmo nearly snatched all three points for the Glory in the fourth minute of stoppage time but Ryan Scott came to the Jets’ rescue.
It means six of the past seven meetings between the two sides have ended 2-2. Newcastle remain 11th in the standings, two points better off than 12th-placed Perth.
It was all Newcastle to start the opening half at McDonald Jones Stadium and the home side should have had two or three goals by the half-hour mark.
Following a desperate block that denied a certain goal for Clayton Taylor, Adams drew first blood for the Jets in the 11th minute. His first goal on home soil and third of the season, the former Melbourne Victory attacker tucked the ball away beautiful after Ben Gibson won the ball.
Adams then went on to hit the post and the crossbar before Perth equalised against the run of play, 10 minutes prior to the interval.
Taggart’s ferocious volley cannoned off the hand of a Jets defender and despite Newcastle’s protests, the Socceroo and reigning Golden Boot winner – the leading Isuzu UTE A-League goalscorer at McDonald Jones Stadium – stepped up to convert.
The Jets had a glorious chance to restored their lead five minutes before half-time. Starting debutant Will Dobson, who fired over the bar earlier in the first half, saw the ball deflect off him and loop over Oli Sail before hitting the crossbar. Then the rebound fell to the feet of the 17-year-old but he somehow fluffed his lines with an empty goal at his mercy.
In the second half there were a couple of debuts. J1 League winner and former Yokohama F.Marinos midfielder Kota Mizunuma made his Jets bow, while Lachie Wales – an A-Leagues champion at Western United – made his first Glory appearance after returning to Australia from South Korea.
With 12 minutes remaining, Newcastle hit the front once more Taylor – on the turn – half-volleyed his spot past Sail.
But Glory somehow levelled proceedings in chaotic scenes in the 84th minute. Substitute Anasmo’s run triggered the chaos after he forced two saves from Ryan Scott and as Newcastle attempted to clear the danger, the ball deflected back into the path of Wales, who made no mistake from the goal line.
