Brisbane Roar pulls off minor miracle in injury time to escape with draw against Western Sydney

Brisbane Roar has conjured up a stoppage-time miracle to escape with a 2-2 draw following a header from Adam Taggart after a brain explosion from Western Sydney goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic.

BRISBANE interim coach Darren Davies hailed his struggling team’s late fightback after a brain explosion from Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic allowed the Roar to escape with a 2-2 draw at Suncorp Stadium last night.

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With the Wanderers leading 2-1 in stoppage time, Janjetovic inexplicably tried to control a bouncing ball that was rolling harmlessly out for a Western Sydney goal-kick.

The keeper’s clumsy attempt to keep the ball in play resulted in a Brisbane corner, from which Adam Taggart headed home his 10th goal of the season to ensure the points were shared.

Joe Caletti of the Roar and Rolieny Bonevacia of the Wanderers.

Adam Taggart of the Roar and Tarek Elrich of the Wanderers.

The Wanderers had led 2-0 into injury-time before Danish substitute Tobias Mikkelsen scored what seemed to be a consolation goal for the hosts.

That was until Janjetovic’s brain fade gave the Roar a late chance they took, much to the delight of the small crowd of 8053 fans.

Wanderers coach Markus Babbel couldn’t explain Janjetovic’s brain snap.

“He had a fantastic game, he was there, he was present, he was helping the team and then, I don’t know what happened in his head,” Babbel said.

“I can’t tell you.”

Roar coach Davies believed Brisbane’s point was deserved, particularly on the back of their second-half performance.

Vedran Janjetovic and Tarek Elrich of the Wanderers and Adam Taggart of the Roar contest the ball.

“We were gaining momentum the longer and longer the game was going on,” Davies said.

“Disappointed to be 2-0 down at half-time, but good value for the point.

“The boys in that dressing-room, let’s give credit to them, and this evening just showed the team spirit they’ve got, and how much they are willing to fight for each other.”

Despite their strong finish to the game, the Roar have now gone 11 matches without a win, while the Wanderers haven’t won any of their past nine games.

The Wanderers had seemed on track to win for the first time since December 7 after first-half goals from the in-form Roly Bonevacia and former Roar prodigy Kwame Yeboah.

Bonevacia’s goal came in controversial circumstances in the 18th minute.

The Roar celebrates scoring the equalising goal deep into injury time. Picture: Getty Images

Aided some poor defending from the Roar, the in-form attacking weapon scored his fourth goal from his past four games with a shot that beat Brisbane goalkeeper Jamie Young at his near post.

But replays suggested the Dutchman was offside at the time the through ball was played to him by Wanderers skipper Brendan Hamill. However, video assistant referee Kris Griffiths-Jones didn’t intervene.

The Roar’s shabby defence was again badly exposed in the 42nd minute when Yeboah scored on his return to Suncorp Stadium.

The Gold Coast product — who made 12 A-League appearances for the Roar before joining German club Borussia Mönchengladbach as 19-year-old in 2014 — was afforded far too much space by three Brisbane defenders as he turned and fired a shot into the back of the net.

The Roar improved in the second half, and had the ball in the back of the net in the 76th minute through substitute Dylan Wenzel-Halls, who for a few seconds thought he had scored his first A-League goal.

But assistant referee Ashley Beecham correctly ruled Wenzel-Halls offside after an initial shot from Taggart was parried into his path by Janjetovic.

However, when all seemed lost, the hosts conjured up a stoppage-time miracle to avoid defeat.

“They (the players) got their just rewards and I’m over the moon for them,” Davies said.