Rhyan Grant summed up a crazy outing for Sydney FC on Thursday evening, when he donned the goalkeeping gloves for the final minutes of the Sky Blues' AFC Champions League match.
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Trailing 2-1 against Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG, Sydney FC goalkeeper Tom Heward-Belle punched the ball well outside his area in the dying minutes, leaving Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al-Jassim no option but to give the 23-year-old his marching orders.
As Sydney FC had used up all their available substitutes, Grant - who played junior football in Bathurst - was required to play goal keeper for the remaining minutes of the match.
Sky Blues coach Steve Corica lamented his team's missed chances.
"We should have been winning 3-0 at half time and then maybe the game is finished," he said.
"It's normally the case, if you don't take your chances you can get in trouble, and that's what happened in the second half, they had two chances and they scored two goals. It was a disappointing end to the game."
It was an action packed encounter in Doha, with Grant's Sky Blues reward with a rapid and impressive start as Trent Buhagiar's outstretched half-volleyed effort rifled the back of the net within the first ten minutes of the clash.
Apart from a sustained level of pressure from Shanghai late in the first half, Sydney FC dominated the majority of the opening 45 minutes, with further chances to Kosta Barbarouses and Ben Warland going astray.
A rejuvenated Shanghai SIPG outfit provided a sterner challenge for the Sky Blues in the second stanza as the Chinese Super League started to establish more control over the contest beyond the hour mark.
As fatigue set in for Corica's men, Shanghai continued to press and managed to find what would be the decisive goal again via a well measured cross, as Li Shenglong bagged a brace with a glancing header.
The task for the Sky Blues was made all the more difficult when Heward-Belle was given his red card.
The defeat leaves Sydney FC on the brink in group H of the AFC Champions League, with just one point from three games.
Sky Blues still have three games to play in the competition, which will all be played in Qatar due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The remaining three matches will be completed by December 4 and if Sydney FC can finish in the top two positions in the four-team group, they will progress to the knockout stage.
Grant and Sydney FC's A-League season is scheduled to get underway on December 27, however, that may change depending on how far they progress.
