Newcastle Jets forward Eli Adams saved his side in the 96th minute on Friday night, whipping a half-volley past Harrison Devenish-Meares to snatch a 1-1 draw with Sydney FC and force extra time in their A-League semi-final at McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Jets were 1-0 down with five minutes gone in stoppage time when Daniel Wilmering floated a hopeful ball in from the left and Adams met it sweetly, turning a match that looked headed for Sydney into a 2-2 aggregate tie. Piero Quispe had put Sydney ahead in the 63rd minute, and the visitors had been close to closing the door before Adams found the finish that kept Newcastle alive.

It was the kind of strike that lands with a thud across a season, and Adams is making a habit of it. He has now scored five goals in his past four matches, with goals in the first leg of this semi-final against Sydney FC the previous week and in a semi-final against Avondale in the Australia Cup also part of that run. Earlier this week, Football360 posted a video asking whether he has the best left peg in the A-League, and the question looked even more pointed after this one.

Daniel McBreen called it “a phenomenal finish in the circumstances,” while Daniel Garb said it was a “truly incredible all time A-League moment.” Both descriptions fit a goal that arrived when Newcastle were running out of time and seemed to be staring at elimination.

The timing mattered because Sydney had appeared to be heading through. Instead, Adams dragged the semi-final into extra time and preserved Newcastle’s chance to advance. The Jets have made a pattern of late rescues this season, scoring a league-high 15 goals in the final 15 minutes of matches, and this was the biggest one yet.

For Adams, the finish was more than a highlight. It was another reminder that Newcastle’s belief in the closing stages is built on something real, and on Friday night it turned a near-exit into one more chance.