No other sport can match the atmosphere and sheer drama of football, as a pulsating Sydney Derby proved once again in front of 32,741 vociferous fans on Saturday night.

Western Sydney fans must have thought their team had done enough.

After cancelling out an early Sydney FC goal through Zac Sapsford, the Wanderers wrestled control of the game when Sapsford – the former Sydney FC youth product – swivelled to arrow an unerring finish into the bottom corner for his second of the game.

“What is it about the derby and him?” enquired Paramount+ commentator Simon Hill following Sapsford’s first, with the former Sky Blue NPL-teamer seemingly possessing a Sydney Harbour-sized grudge against his former club.

Sapsford now has five derby goals and all the time in the world to chase down record goalscorer Alex Brosque, but even Sapsford won’t have gone home happy after another unforgettable encounter at Allianz Stadium.

That’s because when Sydney FC substitute Adrian Segecic lashed home on the turn with two minutes of normal time remaining, he gave the Sky Blues a glimmer of hope.

The Wanderers should have put the game to bed before that – and they were denied what looked like a decent penalty shout when Rhyan Grant handled the ball in the 58th minute from a Sapsford shot on the turn.

“Maybe (Football Australia’s Head of Referees) Jon Moss can come out for once and explain what the actual handball rule is,” Wanderers coach Alen Stajcic fumed after the game.

“We had a very similar one where (Jack) Clisby handballed it against Melbourne Victory (that) looked very similar to me.”

Clisby’s handball against Victory resulted in a penalty, but there was none forthcoming at Moore Park – and the Sky Blues took full advantage.

They left it late, with substitute Adrian Segecic setting up a grandstand finish when he smashed home with just over two minutes of normal time remaining.

But with The Cove going ballistic behind the goal and the Wanderers sitting ever deeper, it always looked like there was going to be late drama at the death.

It was fitting that Anthony Caceres provided the equaliser – on his 200th appearance for the Sky Blues – because the metronomic midfielder remains one of the most influential players in the league.

His pass to set up Patryk Klimala for Sydney FC’s opener was a work of art, while he still had the legs to slide home on the rebound after the unfortunate Lawrence Thomas could only parry Grant’s bullet header.

The whole passage had been set up by the industrious Segecic, whose relentless pressure won the corner swung over by Sydney FC’s marquee man, Douglas Costa.

Cue pandemonium when Caceres crashed home in the seventh minute of stoppage time, to the frustration of Stajcic and the huge army of Wanderers supporters.

The Western Sydney coach lamented after the game that every refereeing decision had gone Sydney FC’s way on the night, but he’ll know as well as anyone that this was a game that got away from the Wanderers.

“No, never feel anything towards them,” was Sydney FC coach Ufuk Talay’s nonplussed response when asked by Paramount+ reporter Scott Mackinnon if he felt any sympathy for his opponents.

This is a game that still has real meaning – no surprise to see Sydney FC’s cult hero Klimala stoke the tensions by celebrating in front of the Wanderers fans after his goal – and the next derby between the two sides will be unmissable viewing.

It’s just a shame there aren’t more games like Saturday night’s in the A-League Men.

There should be.

But thousands of fans who turned up at the derby won’t return next week.

There was a small crowd on hand to watch Macarthur draw 2-2 with Western United on Sunday afternoon, while Sydney FC will hope at least a few fans turn out when they host Bangkok United in the AFC Champions League 2’s Round of 16 on Wednesday night.

Our football deserves it, after a night that reminded everyone why the Sydney Derby remains one of the must-see spectacles on the Australian sporting calendar.