Western United produced arguably its greatest-ever win at Ironbark Fields with a 4-3 Ninja A-League Women triumph over Canberra United.
Spurred on by the home support in Tarneit, the Green and Black thrice came from behind to equalise heading into the final 10 minutes.
Keiwa Hieda scored her first of the season, Catherine Zimmerman launched a rocket into the top corner and Sandra Ibarguen netted her maiden Western United goal to set up a grandstand finish.
United called up on its ever-reliable super sub Kiara De Domizio in the dying embers with the wingers cross-cum-shot deflecting off Madison Ayson and spinning into the net.
The win is a massive one in the context of the race for finals in the Ninja A-League, with United remaining in fourth place and opening up a five-point gap from Canberra in seventh.
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Kat Smith was forced into one change to cover the suspended Julia Sardo with Hieda coming in for her first start since December and Medwin reverting to a full-back position.
Ibarguen was back on the bench and Melissa Taranto also returned in reserve having missed the previous four matches.
First half
Western United was sharp from the first whistle, immediately getting on the front foot and looking to take the game to the visitors.
That was until Canberra struck against the run of play in the 12th minute. It was courtesy of some outstanding forward play by Michelle Heyman who controlled, held off Claudia Mihocic and played in Bethany Gordon who finished from close range.
As well as giving Canberra the lead, that goal stung United’s momentum slightly and gave the visitors a lift, though Western did still control the majority of possession for the remainder of the half.
Neither side was able to create anything particularly meaningful leading into the break, seemingly saving up all their best attacking efforts for the second half.
Second half
What the first half might have lacked in thrill-a-minute goalmouth action, the second half certainly made up for.
Hieda got the chaos started just five minutes after the restart. It was a glorious goal, starting with a darting run through the centre of the pitch by Sasha Grove and culminating with a perfect Adriana Taranto cross and a clinical half-volleyed finish from Hieda.
Parity lasted just three minutes, though, as Ayson was found unmarked at the back post to head Canberra back into the lead.
Zimmerman found an instant response again for Western, taking advantage of an errant Canberra pass before launching a 25-yard screamer into the very, very top corner off her left foot.
The response was even quicker this time from Canberra and even matched Zimmerman’s quality as Mary Stanic-Floody found the top corner herself with a fierce first-time strike from range.
There was an inevitability of more goals in the game and Western was determined to be the one to find them.
Grace Maher forced Sally James into a good save from a direct free-kick but it was her next attempt just over 10 minutes later that proved effective.
With space opening up in front of her, Maher fired from distance and there was only one player in the box that was alive to what happened next.
That player was Ibarguen who was on the move, latching onto a deflection on the initial though before stretching to poke the ball into the net – a true poacher’s goal.
Only one team was going to win it from there and as stoppage time neared, Sara Eggesvik found De Domizio out on the right wing.
Sizing up Ayson before looking to speed away, the No.7’s ball in was blocked at point-blank range by the lunging defender and everyone at Ironbark Fields watched in slow-motion as it spun into the net despite a desperate attempt by James to palm it away.
That was where the chaos finally ended as Western United held on for a crucial three points heading into the end of the season.
