Auckland FC were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw with Perth Glory FC after surrendering valuable ground in the Premiers Plate race at Go Media Stadium.
Sam Cosgrove gave the home side an early lead and later struck again after Perth responded through Brian Kaltak and Stefan Colakovski in a match where Auckland created the better chances but struggled to convert dominance into victory.
Cosgrove’s second goal, initially ruled out, was awarded after a VAR review, while both teams pushed hard for a late winner before sharing the points, leaving Auckland second on the ladder and four points behind the league-leading Newcastle Jets FC ahead of next weekend’s meeting.