For the best part of 90 minutes it looked like the three points would elude Moreland against Whittlesea.
Despite dominating procedings, after conceding in the 33rd minute, it took the visitors over 40 minutes – and countless saved or sprayed shots – just to equalise, with their winner coming deep into extra-time.
After the game, coach Danny Gnjidic cut a relieved figure, believing his side had shown enough throughout the contest to deserve the three points.
“It was terrific to get the goal in the end, despite it coming so late, but credit to Whittlesea, they made it hard for us,” Gnjidic said.
“I thought we started the first half well, and then let them in under our guard, and we conceded a soft goal from our end.
“It was a good finish to be fair to the boy but defensively it wasn’t a great goal, I think it came from an ordinary defensive clearance.
“But overall, I think the better team won on the day.”
Going into the break a goal down, the Zebras’ coach implied that he may have had some harsh words for his players in the dressing room, but was nonetheless pleased with the manner in which they reacted to his orders.
“You probably don’t want to know what I told them! They’re a good group though, and they respond to instructions,” he said with a wry smile.
“It was more about playing the game as we’re capable of, and using the conditions to our advantage – it’s a nice pitch – playing the ball to feet, and trying to get in behind the defense if we can.
“The second goal was testament to that.”
With five wins and a draw from their past six games, including inflicting Avondale’s first loss since Round Tewo last week, Moreland now sit in sixth place with a slim hope of promotion.
However, Gnjidic isn’t getting carried away, reinforcing that his side are taking it one game at a time.
“It’d be fair to say we probably underachieved in the first part of season, but the team’s potential is now starting to show results-wise, and at times tonight our team showed what it’s really capable of,” he said.
“I’ve said to players all along that the ladder counts at the end of the season after 26 games – where you sit after 5-10-15 rounds, whilst it’s a guide, it’s not always relevant.
“We are honestly taking it one game at a time. We’ll enjoy the weekend with it being a Friday game, but from Monday we focus on the next one.”
The Zebras mentor didn’t shy away from a brief self-congratulatory moment, delighted that his substitutions made the difference on the night; in particular Daniel Sweeney, who scored the equaliser.
“I was rapt that both the subs made an impact. As a coach sometimes you go in the dressing room and everyone’s patting your back for making the subs,” he said.
“The boys came on and made an impact and that’s all you can ask – because to get to where we’ve got to in the season in the past two months its been a squad effort, not just individual performances, so I’m glad the boys that haven’t always gotten a regular run have come in and made an impact.”
Moreland can extend their good run with another win against bottom placed Brunswick on Saturday.