Holly Caspers' stoppage time finish snatched a comeback 3-3 draw against basement club Brisbane Roar to deliver Canberra United a precious A-League Women's Christmas point on Thursday.
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Substitute Caspers poked in Grace Maher's cross with barely seconds on the clock, just minutes after Maher's brilliant free kick delivered the home side a lifeline at a windy and muggy Viking Park.
It was a massive result for a makeshift United who had struggled to find a foothold into the game before Maher's magnificent left foot gave her side a pulse.
"Stressful, frustrating, love to see that spirit again to get a result right at the end," Canberra coach Vicki Linton said.
"We shouldn't have put ourselves in that position, we made it a little bit hard on ourselves.
"At half-time we talked about this game is in our hands. It was a bit later than I would like. I'm just glad for the players that they got something out of that game.
"We deserved something and hopefully that just sets us up moving forward."
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Linton was staring down the barrel of a third-straight loss to start the season after calamitous first-half defending helped the winless visitors take control of the contest.
Playing alongside United debutant Allira Toby in a rejigged 3-5-2 formation, star forward Michelle Heyman scored early on to give Linton's side a dream start.
She scooped in from close range after Toby's delicate ball across the box unlocked her old side.
But the game turned on two horror defensive lapses which swung the momentum back to the Roar.
Karly Roestbakken's short pass back to her keeper Keeley Richards took a wicked bounce and rolled into the back of an empty net for an own goal.
And 15 minutes later Richards was beaten again as Anna Margraf's shot was parried into the path of Shea Connors, whose composed finished gave her side the lead.
Toby then hit the outside of the post, and was hacked down by Jamilla Rankin but United's penalty shouts were waved away.
Margraf's deflected strike midway through the second half looked to win it for the Roar before the Maher and Caspers heroics.
"They're pretty positive in the huddle at the end," Linton said.
"Hopefully it's being positive but also drives us to work on the things we need to work on. Every team in this league provides a challenge so that's really good.
"It also means I know we're not that far away, it's little things. Maybe that's part of the frustration as well, that it's little things."
CANBERRA UNITED 3 (Heyman 10m, Maher 87m, Caspers 90m+3) drew with BRISBANE ROAR (Roestbakken OG 23m, Connors 38m, Margraf 64m) at Viking Park on Thursday.
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James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
