Champions Wollongong Wolves conceded a heart-breaking injury-time equaliser to share the points with ten-man Carlton in the stifling heat at Bob Jane Stadium last Sunday.
The heartbreak was intensified as Wolves had come from behind to take the lead just eight minutes from time from a Robbie Stanton right-foot drive, only for substitute Ange Motsiopoulos to cleverly lay-off inside the box to David Terminello whose slide-rule shot went in off Wolves' keeper Daniel Beltrame's far post, sending the small but vocal home support away happy.
Carlton had netted first from a corner just after the half-hour. Lupo Lapsansky swung it in to the head of the giant Dave McPherson, who regularly makes the trek from his normal defensive position to take advantage of these situations. McPherson dropped the ball at the lightning-quick feet of Olyroo Archie Thompson, who turned in a flash, belting the ball past the hapless Beltrame from inside the six-yard box.
Carlton's Andrew Packer had an excellent chance to double the lead just four minutes later following a David Cervinski error. Playing against one of his old clubs, Cervinski found himself in possession at the edge of his own penalty-area preparing to clear the ball.
Packer saw an opportunity and quickly closed him down, blocking Cervinski's attempt at the clearance, and running onto the rebound at the bye-line. With no-one in support, Packer brought the ball back inside to a more favourable shooting position, wrong-footing two defenders as he did so. His right-foot shot went only narrowly past the far post when a goal would have been a more suitable reward for his awareness and endeavour.
It took until the 58th minute for Wolves to level from a thunderbolt free-kick taken by Scott Chipperfield just outside the penalty-area, after he had been brought down by Packer ending a dangerous and mazy run from mid-pitch. Paul Reid had made a dummy run at the ball, but Chipperfield's shot hit the back of the net before the wall or Anastasiadis had a chance to react.
Just five minutes earlier, Reid brought out a spectacular high save from Carlton keeper Dean Anastasiadis after a 30 metre effort.
And the pressure had continued with a Cervinski pass to Saso Petrovski, requiring another fine save, this time low. With scarcely time to draw breath, the ball was worked to the tireless Matthew Horsely following a series of one-touch passes. Horsely's swerving shot, hit with the outside of his right boot, gave Anastasiadis yet more work.
That it took so long for Wolves to score was indicative of the hard-working Carlton formation, depleted by the red-carding of captain Andrew Marth with just 12 minutes gone. Marth will now miss at least next week's derby game against South Melbourne, as well as incur the wrath of coach Stuart Munro.
Speaking after the game, Munro said, "The matter (of the appropriate disciplinary action the club will take against Marth) will be dealt with this week."
Marth's sending off, even although it arose before the quarter-hour had elapsed, was scarcely a surprise. An early edge to the game was apparent, and Marth himself had been involved in an angry exchange with Mennillo on the near-side touchline, and another with Beltrame in his short but eventful time on the pitch.
It appeared that Marth had head-butted David Huxley mid-pitch during a tangle where both were challenging for the ball. The ball came loose, but the tangle continued. Although the action was behind the ball, it wasn't outside Lennie's observation.
"The disappointing thing is that it's something I go on about every single game, and even more so at the beginning of the season. Discipline is paramount......we need to finish the game with eleven players," said Munro.
"Andrew let himself down."
Oddly, the game seemed to flow more smoothly for both teams following Marth’s dismissal, and Carlton players reached within themselves to make good the resource deficiency.
Wolves' coach Ron Corry saw the balance shift away from his side, "We were outplayed when they had ten men. We played poorly and we paid the penalty for it. Everything that's good about our game, we didn't do today."
But with the constant Wolves pressure either side of Chipperfield's leveller, it seemed that the Carlton resistance would crumble.
Wolves seemed to have the points in the bag when substitute Robbie Stanton found himself on the end of a sparkling Wolves' move, but - as in last week's game against Glory - you know you have to keep alert when Wolves play, right to the final whistle.
"Last week we played Perth off the park and should have won the game. This week we could have won the three points when realistically we wouldn't have deserved them," said Corry.