Eisa Santo headed home in stoppage time to hand 10-man Al Wahda a barely believable 4-4 draw against neighbours Al Jazira at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
Jazira looked to be cruising at half-time in the Abu Dhabi derby as a brace from Ahmed Rabia, either side of Abdelaziz Barrada’s penalty, gave them a 3-0 lead.
However Wahda refused to throw in the towel and hauled themselves back into it via strikes from Ismail Matar and Eisa Santo.
Even after Felipe Caicedo had scored another for the hosts, and they had lost Adel Abdulla to a second yellow card, Sebastian Tagliabue struck to narrow the gap once more.
And with the clock ticking past the 90-minute mark, Matar’s deep cross found the head of Santo to secure a remarkable comeback.
Jazira were playing their fourth game in 11 days while their visitors hadn’t been in competitive action since a 1-0 defeat here in the UAE League Cup on March 2.
But for the first 45 minutes the home side were barely required to move out of first gear as they built a three-goal lead.
Barrada and Ali Mabkhout were in tune from the off and the pair’s understanding was key in the move that allowed Rabia to open the scoring.
Morocco international, Barrada, played a one-two with Mabkhout before playing a first-time ball into the area where the teenage striker held off the attentions of Hamdan Al Kamali to fire home.
It was a goal worthy of the occasion and Jazira would double their lead with just over a quarter of the game gone, albeit through a more straight forward method.
Referee Ammar Al Junaibi pointed to the spot after Barrada hit Damian Diaz’s elbow with a free kick from the left of the area.
Wahda complained long and loud about the decision but the Argentine’s arm was raised and after a pause of a minute or so the former Getafe midfielder showed great composure to send Ali Mohamed the wrong way from 12 yards.
Wahda continued to create chances though and almost found a way back into proceedings as Juma Abdulla deflected Sebastian Tagliabue’s shot onto the post.
But Barrada was enjoying himself now and after carving out an opening that Rabia spurned, he would be involved in the move that saw the 18-year-old double his tally.
It was Mabkhout that supplied the final pass this time, and having been forced wide by Mohamed Rabia produced a wedged left-footed finish to loop the ball into the far corner.
Whether he meant it will be debated but the goal gave Jazira a three-goal cushion they would be thankful for.
Eisa Santo had already had a goal chalked off for offside when Matar pulled a goal back for the visitors with an angled shot across Khaseif.
That strike, aided by a slip from Musallem Fayez highlighted Jazira’s defensive frailties, and they would be in evidence again with 27 minutes left as Santo got his first goal, nutmegging Khaseif at his near post.
Jazira appeared to have reasserted their authority as first substitute Caicedo poked home just three minutes after coming on, before Wahda were reduced to 10 men as Abdulla received his second booking for a cynical foul on Barrada.
But the visitors refused to throw in the towel and pulled themselves back into the game with 12 minutes remaining as Tagliabue diverted Matar’s cross-cum-shot past Khaseif.
That gave the visitors 12 minutes to find another goal, and they did just that as Santo rose highest to head home Matar’s pinpoint cross right in front of the travelling support.
