Soccer: Kingz make a draw exciting

By DAVID LEGGAT

Someone should hang a sign at the entrance to Ericsson Stadium before the Football Kingz' home games: "You are advised not to leave your seats five minutes early."

After being outplayed for large chunks of the game last night, the Kingz drew level, then went ahead. But in a crazy finish, they conceded a last-gasp goal for a 2-2 draw with the Melbourne Knights.

Say what you like about the Kingz' inconsistency, on nights like this you cannot fault their entertainment value.

The result made it six games without a win in the Australian National Soccer League, but at least the crowd got their money's worth with the late thrills and spills, most notably a superb goal from under-pressure co-coach Wynton Rufer.

The heat is on Rufer the coach, but Rufer the player can still pull spectators from their seats.

His left-foot volley from the left-hand side of the penalty area two minutes from the end should have been a glorious match-winner.

But the Kingz' defence, which was sloppy for much of the match, let him down, conceding an equaliser to influential midfielder Adrian Cervinski.

Spare a thought for Kingz goalkeeper Chris Marsh. He was at fault for the opening Melbourne goal, coming for and missing a cross from the left to give Alex Kiratzoglou a free header 12 minutes before halftime.

Apart from that, his work was exemplary. Five minutes from the end, after an appalling error by Riki van Steeden at halfway, Marsh saved what should have been a certain goal on a runaway by Andrew Vargas.

A minute later, Tim Stevens turned in a delightful cross from the left and hard-working midfielder Mark Burton headed the equaliser.

Then came Rufer's classy strike, but all that counted for nothing as the defence left a gap for Cervinski to slot the ball past Marsh.

Against a workmanlike but essentially average Melbourne side, the Kingz had enough chances in a 10-minute spell early in the second half - through Burton twice, Ivan Vicelich, Harry Ngata and Dennis Ibrahim - to have won the game.

The result should give the Kingz confidence, but it still looks like a long, hard battle over the next few months.