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Ten-man North Queensland fought back from a goal down to grab a controversial 1-1 A-League draw against Perth in front of 12,822 fans at ME Bank Stadium on Saturday.
The Glory appeared destined to grab maximum points when Fury midfielder Ufuk Talay was given his marching orders in the 45th minute and Mile Sterjovski put Perth 1-0 ahead with a 49th-minute penalty.
But the game, which featured eight yellow cards and one red, was turned on its head in the 70th minute when Glory goalkeeper Tando Velaphi fell over his goal-line after saving John Tambouras’ goal-bound header.
Velaphi argued he was bundled over the line after receiving a push from Fury substitute Chris Grossman but his desperate pleas fell on deaf ears, with referee Ben Williams awarding the goal.
It was Velaphi’s second disastrous mistake of the season, following his terrible blunder against Central Coast when he ran under a long ball to gift the Mariners a goal in a 2-1 loss.
The Fury held their own in a lacklustre first half but were thrown into disarray when fit-again Talay, who picked up a yellow card in the 20th minute, was booked for simulation in the 45th minute and dismissed.
Perth didn’t take long to capitalise on the numerical advantage, hitting the lead four minutes after the break when Sterjovski converted from the spot after being brought down by a clumsy Tambouras tackle.
The Fury launched a feisty fightback after conceding the goal and were rewarded when Velaphi fell over his line after jumping high to claim what appeared to be a regulation save.
Perth unleashed numerous attacking forays thereafter but the Fury’s dogged defence held on, denying the Glory a chance to take top spot on the table.
The result proved costly for Perth in more ways than one, with skipper Jacob Burns suspended for next week’s home clash with Adelaide after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.
“A few people told me he (Velaphi) was pushed over but I don’t know, I haven’t seen it yet,” Fury coach Ian Ferguson said of his team’s controversial equaliser.
“I’ve just seen the cross come in and the next minute I saw … Velaphi holding the ball and then next minute he’s in the net, then I saw the referee point to the circle.
“So I was delighted at that point because he awarded the goal for us.
“It probably is a stroke of luck but at the end of the day we’ve played a lot better than getting nothing out of the game.
“The boys dug deep and I was delighted with them.”
Perth Glory coach Dave Mitchell said Velaphi was adamant he was pushed over the line.
“He felt he kept it out and he felt the boy pushed him. It’s disappointing,” Mitchell said.
“Obviously if your hands are up in the air and someone pushes you, you are off balance.
“The blunder against the Mariners was a mistake and it’s unfortunate but these things happen.
“In general he’s been doing very well.”
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