A dramatic late South Melbourne FC equaliser has stunned a sell-out crowd at the National Stadium in Honiara, securing a 1-1 with Solomon Kings FC to conclude Round 4 of the OFC Pro League.
Backed on by their adoring fans, Javin Wae put the Kings ahead in first-half stoppage time, but as they appeared destined for a famous home win, Charlie Leech struck late in the contest to seal a share of the points.
Having suffered their first defeat of the season last time out, Sinisa Cohadzic made three changes to his South Melbourne side. Ben Cahn followed suit with three changes of his own, including the reintroduction of Raphael Lea’i to the starting eleven.
Fuelled by the electric atmosphere inside the National Stadium, both teams played at pace in a breathless and highly transitional start.
Both Lea’i and Jordan Swibel were the recipients of one-on-one opportunities at either end inside the opening 20 minutes, only to be denied by their respective opposing goalkeepers – Junior Petua for Solomon Kings, and Jake Charlston for South Melbourne.
South Melbourne had won 5-0 when the two sides met 15 days earlier, but backed on by a partisan crowd, the Kings were proving much sterner opposition this time around.
With seconds left on the clock in the first-half, they raised the roof in Honiara. A corner kick delivery to the back post found the head of Javin Wae, who nodded the ball past Charlston to give the Kings the lead, and send the sell-out crowd into a frenzy.
The open nature of the contest continued in the second half – Lea’i and Sota Higashide both unleashing snap shots straight at Charlston.
The home side continued to grow in confidence the longer they stayed ahead, and appeared destined for the three points as the contest entered into 12 minutes of second-half stoppage-time.
Just as in the day’s earlier contest however – late drama struck. Charlie Leech nudged the ball over the goal-line following a melee inside the penalty box, and the goal was awarded after a lengthy VAR review.
Ben Cahn and his coaching staff turned to the crowd in an attempt to lift the Kings for one last push. Despite a second yellow card for South Melbourne midfielder Sebastian Pasquali though, the home side had been left too little time to rescue the situation.
Both teams now look forward to Round 5 of the OFC Pro League in Fiji in April – having put on a spectacle for Oceania football tonight.
