10-man Perth Glory has held Melbourne Victory to a 2-2 draw at Etihad Stadium on Sunday thanks to a late goal by Shane Smeltz.
Melbourne came into the game with two changes after their nil-all draw with Central Coast Mariners with Carlos Hernandez and Ante Covic replacing Lawrence Thomas and Marco Rojas. Covic returning from his one-week suspension and Hernandez after representing Costa Rica. The visitors from Perth made one change with Andrezinho making way for Marquee man Mile Sterjovski.
The first chance for both teams came on 7 minutes when Sterjovski's ball wasn't flicked home by Shane Smeltz. Victory then went straight up the other end with Carlos Hernandez but his free kick went just wide of Vukovic's post.
Adam Hughes was next up to test Ante Covic with a header off a Sterjovski corner but unfortunately it clipped the crossbar.
The game didn't live up to much during the next 20 minutes but on 37 minutes Glory's task was made tougher when Liam Miller was given a straight red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity, although Bas Van Den Brink was there to cover for the Irishmen. Hernandez's follow up free-kick just went wide yet again of the Glory goal.
Four minutes later Brazilian fullback Fabio made a run down the left before unleashing at Vukovic but his shot was comfortably saved after a deflection.
Second-half started fairly slow with both teams adjusting to half-time substitutes. Marco Rojas had come on for Matthew Kemp and Mile Sterjovski made way for Steven McGarry.
The game was changed on 52 minutes as referee Chris Beath awarded Victory a penalty after Thompson went down, although Bas Van Den Brink easily won the ball. By the letter of the law the Dutch defender should have been sent off as he was last man, however no card was given. Hernandez sent Vukovic the wrong way to open the scoring.
Five minutes later Danny Allsopp made it 2-0. Carlos Hernandez's corner was headed down by Rodrigo Vargas but Josh Mitchell fresh-aired on the edge of the six yard box before Danny Allsopp turned and finished past Vukovic. Allsopp's first goal since January in the A-League.
On 60 minutes Adam Hughes for the visitors tried to grab one goal back but his long range strike went straight into the hands of Ante Covic.
On 68 minutes Andrezinho came on and made an instant impact. Only three minutes later he scored a stunning, curling free-kick into the top corner to make it 2-1. Covic did however get a hand to it as he dived into the top corner.
Perth were back into the contest as Steven McGarry's strike on 74 minutes was headed up into the air by Vargas. Covic was then fouled as Smeltz tried to win the ball in the air.
On 87 minutes Perth scored a late, late equaliser through Shane Smeltz after substitute Todd Howarth's brilliant cross was headed home by the unmarked Kiwi forward.
Smeltz could have won it in the second minute of stoppage time as he threw himself at the ball looking for a winner but couldn't make any contact.
Victory countered and went straight up the other end as Danny Allsopp's ball was headed over by Archie Thompson.
2-2 it finished with Victory fans jeering the Referee and throwing bottles onto the field.
Melbourne Victory take on Gold Coast United next Sunday afternoon at AAMI Park and Perth travel to Suncorp to take on the all conquering Brisbane Roar.