Sydney FC tonight threw away a three goal lead against a valiant Central Coast Mariners - and a chance to go top of the table.
After defending resiliently against a Mariners barrage - and going in at half time with a fortunate two-nil lead - Sydney got a third and squandered good chances before playing as though 'Why bother?'
Coach John Kosmina nominated three striking failures - Alex Brosque, Stuart Musialik hitting the crossbar from six yards, and Mark Bridge too slow to pull the trigger - saying Sydney could have won by six or seven goals.
In truth, Mariners also wasted several chances and, but for some excellent goalkeeping by Ivan Necevski, could have won by several goals.
Crowd numbers weren't impressive. Even the Mariners fans were disappointing: it's not that far to travel!
And didn't they want to see Matt Simon, Matt Simon, Matt Simon? Who almost profited soon after kick off from a run to Sydney's left post.
Or Dylan Macallister, who got up to meet a cross from the right and headed just beyond the right post?
Or Adrian Caceres, master of ceremonies, who won a free kick from which Necevski had to get down to save amid the scramble in the goal box?
Mariners started on top. A bad error by Anthony Golec gave Simon his second near chance.
Mile Jedinak fouled Terry McFlynn: What, me? Fouled him?!
Brosque was almost on the end of a Steve Corica ball into the Mariners? penalty area, Shannon Cole bounced off Jedinak but stayed competitive, and Beau Busch fouled Caceres, who was then beaten fairly by Musialik.
Simon played a good ball for Pedj Bojic overlapping down the left, Corica, looking frustrated, had a left-foot slog over goal, and, in the 17th minute, Musialik, sliding over, nearly squeezed the ball inside Mariners' right post.
Jedinak got a yellow for taking out Casey, making a strong run down the right; and Corica's free kick was rubbish.
Bojic was good stopping Corica, lining up a bicycle kick following Bridge beautifully supplying Brosque.
In the 22nd minute Sasho Petrovski was denied by Necevski's right knee after chasing back to win the ball for Mariners at half way then turning for a run into the Sydney penalty area. When Caceres' cross dropped for him at Sydney's left post Petrovski must have thought the nod down was a certain goal.
Just like minutes earlier when he was blocked by the combined efforts of Busch and Mitchell Prentice as he was lining up a shot inside the right post.
The unexpected continued to work in Sydney's favour in the 28th minute when Bridge struck spectacularly from the left of the Mariners' penalty area. Everyone was preparing for the cross but instead a shot ripped into the top right corner of goal.
Bojic and Busch clashed heads and had to leave the pitch for bandaging.
Petrovski went down in the Sydney penalty area and home fans applauded the no-penalty decision (and the yellow card for the Mariner) and then proceeded to chant "Sash Petrovski, you're a wanker - you're a wanker".
Necevski beat Macallister to a firm ball into the box.
In the 39th minute Adam Casey caught a long switch, took on Bojic and beat him with pace, had a chance to shoot and tried his luck. Casey put the ball to the left of Danny Vukovic and Sydney were winning by two goals.
Caceres made a good run and set up Petrovski, who had too narrow an angle to make good use of the ball.
Brosque attempted to emulate Bridge but shot around Brad Porter and behind the goal.
O'Grady almost glanced in a goal on a corner from the right and Brosque failed to score when put through for a one-on-one against Vukovic. McFlynn didn't have time to place the rebound past Vukovic.
Things started evenly in the second half. Petrovski put Simon through on the right and Mariners won a corner. McFlynn supplied Casey down Sydney's right, Casey cut in toward Alex Wilkinson as fans yelled, "Skin him! Skin him!", which he did, but shot ineffectually to Vukovic.
Sydney then had three let-offs before snatching their third goal. First Necevski denied Macallister. The second escape was a deflection off Golec. The third was a clearance off the line by McFlynn, who scored at the other end when Sydney countered, after good touches by Musialik and Brosque.
Sydney should have had an unassailable lead soon after but Musialik hit the crossbar with the goal beckoning.
Vukovic made a good take with Brosque looking for the ball.
And the game turned completely in the 63rd minute when Simon beat the offside trap and got the right contact to beat Necevski.
Cole made a good tackle to beat Macallister and Petrovski almost sneaked in at the left post but Necevski took the ball over the line to give Mariners a corner, from which Bojic missed a great chance at the right post.
Brosque made way for damp squib John Aloisi, Casey made David D'Apuzzo look silly, and Nik Mrdja replaced Petrovski.
Macallister also beat the offside trap - Sydney defenders slow of mind and slow of pace - but couldn't beat Necevski.
Then Sydney wasted a golden opportunity with Bridge breaking free on the left, deciding to let Wilkinson close him down, and still not shooting.
Brad Porter deserves a lot of credit for Mariners? second goal. He ran hard from well within his own half, beat Corica, got a one-two from Simon, cut in and crossed for Mrdja to score.
Simon's second goal was a snack. Up uncontested to head home on a corner from the left. If he'd left it Bojic was on hand, also unmarked, to make amends for his miss earlier on.
Simon had another good chance in the right of the Sydney penalty area but this time he was blocked.
Central Coast coach Lawrie McKinna thought his side deserved something from the match because they had 'chance after chance after chance'. He was disappointed Mariners didn't get a winner.
He said he knew with Sydney's inexperienced backline - six first choice defenders were not available - that Petrovski, Simon and Macallister would cause them problems.
Kosmina said his team was naive at the back. He said Sydney should have killed Mariners off, but his team got all out of shape.
He thought the third goal was scored after Necevski was fouled [knocked to the ground as Simon headed home], and he was disappointed that his players were 'too quick to show their lack of quality'.