A boisterous, vocal crowd travelled to a packed Coopers Stadium to witness a spectacular fixture with an injury time goal earning the first Melbourne Victory win in Adelaide in eight years.

A class opening half goal from the fearless Bershart Berisha was cancelled out by a spectacular left foot screamer from Adelaide defender Tarek Elrich, until Victory’s Marco Rojas left boot directed the ball into the top left corner in the final minute for an incredible finish.

That was an insane game of football. Wow. #ADLvMVC

— Asif (@AZ_HiFi) October 22, 2016

It took 20 minutes for the hulking Bershart Berisha to write his name on the scoresheet for the first time in 2016, latching onto a lovely first-touch ball from Rojas for a deft left foot touch before unleashing a thundering finish into the top right corner.

That’s what happens when you feed Berisha. #ADLvMVC #ALeague

— Sacha Pisani (@Sachk0) October 22, 2016

I didn’t realise just how good that goal was when it went in. Rojas’s ball plus Bes’s touch, wow 😍 #ADLvMVC

— Jimmy. (@Jimmy17_) October 22, 2016

On the 42nd minute, silky passing in the penalty area from Adelaide’s Henrique saw the ball roll to the left boot of marquee Sergi Guardiola with only a spectacular save from Lawrence Thomas denying the marquee Spaniard his first A-League goal.

This save from Thomas 👍 #ADLvMVC pic.twitter.com/YCYxd83Ep8

— Ricky Mangidis (@rickm18) October 22, 2016

An additional Lawrence Thomas block off a low Elrich strike saw out the final minutes of a scintillating opening 45 minutes of end-to-end football.

Bloody awesome half of football. Great high tempo football and a bit of feeling in it too. #ADLvMVC

— Asif (@AZ_HiFi) October 22, 2016

In the 59th minute a loose right foot by Oliver Bozanic added to the Adelaide injury crisis, with the diminutive Henrique stretchered off the field in absolute agony and a suspected medial liagament.

Add another to the long term injury list. #knee #adlvmvc #ALeague

— Rob Scriva (@rovingrob) October 22, 2016

A startling equaliser from Adelaide’s Tarek Elrich raised the stadium on the 68th minute, taking advantage of an aware Ryan Kitto quick free kick to send a left foot pearler to cannoning inside the right woodwork for the equalising goal.

That @elrich11 goal…

1-1 #ADLvMVC – 20 mins to go. pic.twitter.com/1gdAoNSObG

— SBS – The World Game (@TheWorldGame) October 22, 2016

What a goal! You felt that was coming… 😲

— Tara Rushton (@TaraRushton) October 22, 2016

Lovely build up work by Melbourne Victory threatened to steal all three points on offer in the 82nd minute, but the final touch by Berisha dribbled centimetres wide from the right post with a golden chance minutes later for Rojas who could not get boot to ball.

Danny Choi went a whisker from announcing himself in grand style with a strike smashing the right woodwork, with a minute later Guardiola spoiling a perfect opportunity with a left foot stab spoiled by the left woodwork.

Is there gladwrap over the Victory goal???? Oh my #ADLvMVC

— Matt Field (@fieldy29) October 22, 2016

In the final minute of injury time, Marco Rojas threw his left boot at a Pasquali cross, directing the ball into the top left corner to steal the victory and send the travelling fans into heaven.

In a compelling game where both teams deserved points, it was a spectacular fixture for the neutral fan while Adelaide United will lick their injury wounds and hope to recover next weeks fixture against Melbourne City.

Adelaide United 1 (Elrich 68’)
Melbourne Victory 2 (Berisha 20’, Rojas 90+3’)
Coopers Stadium, Adelaide

Referee: Peter Green
Assistant Referees: Matthew Cream & Paul Cetrangolo
Fourth Official: Daniel Elder

Adelaide United: 1. Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk) (c), 19.Ben GARUCCIO, 3.Iacopo LA ROCCA, 4.Dylan McGOWAN, 21.Tarek ELRICH, 16.Jesse MAKAROUNAS (24.Jordan O’DOHERTY 46’), 8.ISAÍAS, 25.James HOLLAND, 22.Ryan KITTO (45.Danny CHOI 87’) 9.Sergi GUARDIOLA, 7.HENRIQUE (18.Riley McGREE 61’)
Melbourne Victory: 20.Lawrence THOMAS (GK), 5.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 15.Alan BARO, 4.Nick ANSELL, 2.Jason GERIA (16.Rashid MAHAZI, 67’), 21.Carl VALERI (c), 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 13.Oliver BOZANIC (25.Sebastian PASQUALI 76’), 11.Mitch AUSTIN (14.Fahid BEN KHALFALLAH 78’) 8.Besart BERISHA, 7.Marco ROJAS