Can the A-League v3 finals get any better?
Another night on the East coast and another extra-time thriller, this time the Newcastle Jets finishing on the right end of 3-2 scoreline in front of their own fans, finally beating the Roar at home and shaking off the disappointment not only of last week, but last season's exit at the same stage.
Last week they let slip a 2-0 first leg lead to end up 3-2 aggregate losers to the Central Coast Mariners. Tonight they were finally able to put away the Queensland Roar, but only after surviving a controversial injury time equaliser that took the Jets to extra time for the second week on the spin.
Now, into Asia in '09, they meet the premiers and their closest neighbour in the most mouth-watering of F3 derbies, and if the championship decider in neutral Sydney in a week is half as enthralling as what we've witnessed over the past month, it'll be a beaut.
Tonight's game was arguably the best and most even of the lot, played at breathtaking speed, with plenty of open play and goal scoring opportunities.
In truth, the Jets should have sealed the match in normal time, but twice they were denied by some poor officiating. With 10 miniutes left in normal time, up 1-0, the Jets's main man, Joel Griffiths, was through, on side, with only Liam Reddy to beat.
Game, set and match, it seemed.
But up went the offside flag, incorrectly, and the Roar had a lifeline. Into injury time they used it, substitute Simon Lynch adjudged by Peter Green to have have been up-ended by Adam D'Apuzzo. Penalty.
Replays showed it was Lynch doing the pushing. Little wonder the Jets were so ropable.
In a way, they had themselves to blame. More and more in the second period they retreated, defending too deep, allowing the Roar to press on in search of an equaliser.
When it came you could hardly begrudge the Roar, who had earlier in the game peppered Ante Covic's goal, despite conceeding most of the ball.
It was a strange and absorbing opening half. The Jets, with master link-man Stuart Musialik back in the 11 and back to his tempo-setting best, controlled the possession, passed the ball around crisply, yet it was the Roar creating the better chances.
Partly these were on back of some Jets mistakes, partly they were a result of some rapid Roar counter-attacks, with Michael Zullo in particular in a rampant mood down the left.
But what was lacking for the Roar was the finish, the final touch. What's new, I hear you ask.
Zullo, Matt McKay, Marcinho and Robbie Kruse were all guilty, and the Jets soon punished them.
After hiting the post early after a breathtaking bit of footwork in the box, Matt Thompson, pushed into the front third by his ever-thoughtful manager, reacted first as Reddy could only parry a teasing near-post cross from Mark Bridge.
The Jets, taking advantage of some running repairs to Sash Ognenovski on the sideline, had their opener and were in the box seat. In a one-off game, not over two legs, no team has been able to come from behind to beat them this season.
The second period was completely different. The Roar dominated possession, territory, fouls, balls into the box, corners and chances (mainly to Reinaldo from Zullo delivery). It seemed only a matter of time before they would score, but the defensive axis of Andrew Durante, Jade North and Musialik in front of them stood strong.
Seemingly they'd done enough, until Green intervened, incensing the hosts, who argued long and hard about the decisions.
Soon, 13 minutes into extra-time, the referee, perhaps still feeling the Jets complaints echoing in his ears, squared things up. After a wonderful flowing eight-pass build-up by the Jets which saw the ball moved from the left, through the back, via Musialik and into the feet of Griffiths, who found the diagnol run of the fresh Ji-Hyung Song, who copped the slightest touch from Ognenovski. Griffiths bagged his 14th of the season and fourth set-piece goal against the Roar this year.
The the penalty was soft, no doubt, but the Jets had earnt it for at least taking the initiative in the first period of extra time and stringing some lovely passing sequences together. Good to watch.
The Roar looked content to settle for penalties and were punished.
Now they had to come out and play, which left space for the likes of Bridge, Griffiths and Song to exploit, which they did so thrillingly in the 110th minute. A blocked McKay shot fell to Song in midfield, who played a quick one-two with Griffths before pushing it on to Bridge, who turned and found Griffiths to his right. While Bridge had sprinted off to the left, hoping for the return ball, Griffiths saw something on the other side, and in a flash it was 3-1.
Swiftly, with five one and two-touch passes, the ball had been moved from midfield to the right side of attack, where Tarek Elrich, somehow finding reserves of energy, thrashed his shot past Reddy.
Energy Australia went potty. Surely the Jets were in the big one and off to Asia.
There was still time though for more drama and Green was soon pointing to the spot after the goal-scorer was guilty of up-ending Zullo. Reinaldo expertly converted his second penalty, but with the Roar reduced to 10 men after Craig Moore had lost the plot a little earlier, this was the Jets' night.
The Roar had contributed to thrilling night but had been found a little short in the final third. The fact both their goals came from the spot despite numerous chances told of their fall-down, a lack of composure in the final third.
The Jets meanwhile proved they can muscle-up and still play some flowing football, and, in a one-off game, have every chance in next week's grand final. If they can compete physically with the Mariners, they have the better football in them, and can realistically expect to compete.
Their physical and technical work in this game will give them plenty of confidence and the fact all their players survived the 'second-yellow' disaster will further hearten them.
Plenty to look forward to, and the hope is that while both teams will be travelling south along the F3 for the grand final, hopefully next week's climax continues to take the v3 finals upwards.