The Kingborough Lions left it late, but eventually overran Clarence to claim a 3-2 win on Saturday night. After 86 minutes it looked like Clarence were headed for victory as they led Kingborough 2-1, before they imploded and finished the game with just 9 players. In addition to the 2 red cards they also shipped 2 goals as a 94th minute Danny Cowen penalty secured a famous victory for the Lions.

It was the Lions who had made the brighter start, winning a host of corners and threatening to break through the Reds defence with a consistent stream of crosses into the box. One passage of play saw the ball blocked on the line twice as Clarence rode their luck early on.

The game’s first goal was up the other end of the pitch though, as Ali Ercan lit up the night with a sublime curling effort from the top of the box, dusting the cobwebs out of the top corner.

Jason Voss then came up big for Clarence to preserve that lead, twice making quality saves to deny Calvert and then Pearce as the Lions pushed hard to square it up.

They would get the leveller through Phil Kantzos, who did a superb job heading Tim Baker’s cross into the back of the net, despite the fact he was facing the oppositions goals. He has shown a knack for those sort of goals this year and he was a good contributor to the Lions throughout the contest once again.

For all Kingborough’s territorial control, Clarence were looking a threat on the counter attack with Soukray, Ercan and Snell offering them some searing pace in attack that was giving Kingborough problems on the break.

It led to the games second goal, as Clarence completed a clinical counter attacking move, Ercan feeding Soukray who put it on a platter for Cody Snell to crash home as he arrived in the box.

That came shortly before half time and provided a 2-1 lead that looked like lasting, right up until the dying embers of the encounter.

Thrust back into attack after playing as a centre back in the first half, Danny Cowen looked the most likely figure to find the equaliser, but Voss was standing firm in net and twice pulled off strong reaction saves to deny him.

As the half wore on and the Lions threw men forwards, they seemed like they had run their race and Clarence would hold on, but plenty of drama lay in store.

On 87 minutes, Adam Hedge, who had made a goal saving challenge moments earlier, this time got it wrong and brought down Kantzos, earning a second yellow card and his marching orders in the process.

Demar almost took immediate advantage from the resulting free kick, Voss again brilliant to push it over the bar.

But having been a rock in net all night, Voss yielded a soft one in the 88th minute as Schuth crossed from the left and he failed to gather it, the ball popping up and off of Danny Cowen into the back of the net.

Then in what was probably going to be the final minute of the game, Sam Reibel mistimed a challenge in the box and brought down James Hall. It saw him join Hedge in the change rooms and Clarence down to 9 men.

More crucially it gave Danny Cowen the chance to win the game from the spot, and he duly obliged despite Voss getting a hand on it.

It completed the stunning late turn around and saw Kingborough move 6 points clear of Clarence at the foot of the table.