AFC Champions League Elite
Mark Jackson’s side picked up their first point of the campaign when Brandtman netted at a late corner having seen Andre Luis and Yu Hanchao give the visitors a significant advantage with goals in the 50th and 64th minutes respectively.
But Sabit Ngor pulled one back for Mariners with 15 minutes remaining and Brandtman struck five minutes into added time to break the AFC Cup holders’ losing run in the competition in front of their own fans at Central Coast Stadium.
Shenhua’s pre-game plans were disrupted inside the opening minute when Leonid Slutsky was forced to replace Xie Pengfie with Yu after the midfielder had to be carried off on a stretcher following a clash of heads with Mariners captain Brian Kaltak.
Central Coast playmaker Mikael Doka tested Bao Yaxiong from distance in the 13th minute, the goalkeeper gathering at the second attempt having fumbled the shot initially and he was called into action again moments later to block Ryan Edmondson’s effort.
The home side were inches away from opening the scoring as the half reached the midway point, Alfie McCalmont bending in a right-foot cross from the left towards Kaltak on the far corner of the six yard box, but his header could only clip the crossbar with Bao beaten.
Bao was under pressure again in the 28th minute, the Shenhua keeper shovelling the ball out for a corner after Doka’s free kick deep into the penalty area caused panic among the visiting defence.
Edmondson’s injury time header was blocked on the line by Bao at Doka’s corner and Nathan Paull’s attempt was pulled to the right of the goal moments later as Shenhua held out until the interval.
Central Coast were to rue their inability to turn opportunities into goals five minutes into the second half when Shenhua took the lead.
Shinichi Chan fed possession into Yu and deft pass was controlled in one touch by Luis before the Brazilian turned to bend a low right foot shot around the diving Dylan Peraic-Cullen, who was unable to lay a glove on the ball despite being at full stretch.
Vitor Feijao was inches away from levelling the scores six minutes later with a glanced header but, by the 64th minute, Shenhua were further ahead when Chan fed Yu and he produced a similar finish to Luis, curling a low finish around the home goalkeeper.
Ngor held off the Shenhua defence before rounding Bao to score from an angle with 15 minutes remaining to give Central Coast hope in the dying minutes and Brandtman completed a dramatic comeback with a close range finish.
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