Images: Con Deves
Only two points separated Kingston City and Port Melbourne coming in to their clash at the Grange, but with a ladder so stacked (only four points separating sixth from 12th) the three points on offer were going to be crucial for both sides and a draw not necessarily suiting either.
The hosts were positive early with Velibor Mitrovic getting a few shots away that either stuck in the hands of Port keeper Brendan White or were off target.
Disaster struck for the visitors when Mitrovic played Stelios Konstantinidis through on the wing in acres of space, baring down on goal and composing himself to get a shot away – what normally would have been a regulation save slipped through the grasp of White to nestle in the back of the net.
Kingston had the lead but the visitors had a couple of chances of their own, primarily through Oleksiy Khrapko who couldn’t find his range to beat Kile Kennedy, in particular producing a solid low save out of the latter following a cross from Francesco Stella.
Port went into the sheds with the deficit but didn’t have to wait long for the equaliser in the 52nd minute when Andreas Govas’ diagonal ball was touched on by Nathan Tidmarsh, with Chris Cristaldo latching onto it and chipping coolly past Kennedy.
City almost hit back when Konstantinidis made a slaloming run forward down the right wing, cutting back to Damian Iaconis but White made amends with a diving low save at the near post.
The home side got their go-ahead goal once more in the 84th minute through a corner, with Faisal Sakhizada nodding the ball down and Simo Jovanovics’ snapshot finding its way in the back of the net.
Mitrovic had a later chance to seal the result when he found space running in on goal but his dribble in the box and scuffed shot didn’t trouble the keeper.
The contest took a dramatic turn in its late stages when Nick Apostolopoulos got through on the left wing – Simo Javanovic’s first challenge wasn’t enough to stop him in his tracks, with Kennedy charging out of the box and sliding into him near the byline.
Referee Jonathan Barreiro had no hesitation in showing a red, and with City having used up all their substitutes, Mitrovic was handed the gloves.
While it looked like Kingston had safely navigated the subsequent free kick, more controversy ensued as Fraser Hills and Damian Iaconis challenged for the ball, with the referee pointing to the spot despite there appearing to be nothing untoward in the challenge.
Francesco Stella stepped up to make no mistake from the spot, adding one more talking point to a fiery conclusion with a running celebration past the boisterous home supporters behind the goal as tensions boiled over after the final whistle.
With all said and done, aftere the 2-2 draw Kingston remain unbeaten at home and sit in seventh on 14 points, while Port narrowly trail on 12 in ninth spot.