Coach Richard Garcia has delighted in Perth Glory's gutsy comeback 1-1 draw with Central Coast in their first outing since COVID-19 ripped through their squad and believes it can provide a foothold for the rest of the A-League Men season.
Mercurial striker Jason Cummings handed the Mariners the lead in the 58th minute but Daniel Stynes' 93rd minute equaliser ensured last-placed Perth got a share of the points on their return from a two-game absence.
"A real gutsy performance," Garcia said.
"The first half, they played very well. Boys really stroked the ball around well and created some chances which we probably should have taken advantage of but you could tell that second half we lost our wind.
"We've got six guys who have just come out of quarantine from COVID, so the effort that they put in tonight was a massive one and had Nick Fitzgerald, who hasn't played in a game in a long, long time.
"So a severely undercooked team from that point of view, but their desire and their effort to stick together as a group and eventually get a result was fantastic to see.
"If we continue to build on the performance side of what we've been doing then there's going to be some good signs ahead. But that is then again, about fitness, about us getting over the COVID period."
Garcia said the Glory would take a patient approach with Daniel Sturridge and other players still struggling after COVID-19 infections.
For a second consecutive match, after their hectic mid-week draw with Macarthur, the Mariners dropped two points from a winning position, leaving their finals hopes in the balance.
"Just really disappointed with the equaliser we conceded and again, deja vu, two points dropped. The boys are hurting in there, but that's football," coach Nick Montgomery said.
"Obviously we've got a really young team and also not putting chances away.
"If you put the chances away, you can probably concede that goal in the last minute and you still win the game but for that to be an equaliser that obviously takes away two points is very disappointing."
Mariners goalkeeper Mark Birighitti made a brilliant athletic save to fingertip Glory defender Aaron Calver's venomous strike over the bar in the 17th minute.
The Mariners broke through when Marco Urena turned on the ball and expertly dinked it over the Glory defence for Cummins, who chested it down then slipped it into the bottom corner.
Birighitti brilliantly denied Fornaroli in the 80th minute but 13 minutes later, Perth equalised after a long ball caused chaos in the Mariners' defence, who were preoccupied with Fornaroli and Andy Keogh.
Debutant Adam Zimarino worked the ball to Stynes, who coolly finished to snare Glory a point.
