By James Willoughby (@jwilloughby26)

Joshua Knight scored twice in the last 10 minutes as Richmond came from behind to edge Nunawading City 2-1 in a Friday night thriller at Kevin Bartlett Reserve.

Richmond started the day on the bottom of the NPL 1 East table and Nunawading City - only above them on goal difference - deservedly led at the break through Anthony Giannopoulos.

Rick Mensink's side improved after the resumption, though, and Knight set up a grandstand finish with an 86th-minute equaliser, before he bagged a dramatic winner in the first minute of stoppage time.

Richmond was keen to atone for a 6-0 thrashing at Goulburn Valley Suns last time out, and Knight sent a glancing header just wide in the third minute.

But a youthful Nunawading side controlled the first half and Giannopoulos made the most of space in the penalty area to score a clever 10-yard finish for the opener.

He almost doubled his account quickly, shooting just wide, while David Morovic and Ming-En Cui also went close for the visitors.

At the other end, Richmond captain Tom Cahill was playing a lone hand up front, but missed the target on three different occasions.

Sam Mazzolini's sloppy pass played in Richmond's Peter Sawan in the 47th minute, and although he wasted the chance, it was indicative of the second half.

Nunawading were insistent on passing the ball out of defence and Richmond - employing a high, frantic press after the break - regularly forced them into errors.

Michael Catalano nearly flicked in an equaliser from Knight's cross in the 55th minute and Cahill's lob went just wide after another Nunawading error.

Matthew Waters then spurned a great chance, shooting at Nunawading's Keegan Coulter from eight yards, and it appeared as if it may not have been Richmond's night.

But the hosts, throwing bodies forward, levelled when Cahill's ball across the face of goal was swept in by Knight at the back post with four minutes of normal time remaining.

And Knight went one better in the 91st minute, turning home another cross from the right - this time from Jay Kelly - to delight the home crowd.

"It was harder for me to miss than score both goals, to be honest," Knight said afterwards.

"It's nice to get the two goals and the win. Hopefully it's the three points we need to kick our season on.

"We nicked two goals at the end but I think we thoroughly deserved the win based on the second half."

Match Details

Richmond 2 (Knight 86', 91') defeated Nunawading City 1 (Giannopoulos 16')

RICHMOND: 1. Christian ROSSI, 3. Matthew COLLIER, 4. George TSIAKALAKIS, 8. Joshua KNIGHT, 9. Tom CAHILL, 10. Tim PURCELL (17. Samuel CATHERINE 75'), 11. Liam FLYNN, 12. Matthew WATERS, 14. Mate ETEROVIC (6. Peter SAWAN 40'), 19. Michael CATALANO (15. Jay KELLY 61'), 23. Joshua VALADON

Unused Subs: 20. Chris DAVIS, 5. Andrew SKOULLOS

Yellow Cards: SAWAN 42', TSIAKALAKIS 52', VALADON 72'

Red Cards: Nil

NUNAWADING: 1. Keegan COULTER, 2. Sam MAZZOLANI (Peter EVANGELAKOS 52'), 4. Ben ROBINSON, 23. Jack GOW, 10. Ivan SKORICH, 15. Jordan TEMPLIN, 6. Jack LOUZIOTIS, 7. Anthony GIANNOPOULOS, 12. Chris GURR, 17. David MOROVIC (9. David ANTEQUERA 58'), 8. Ming-En CUI (11. Daniel PATTERSON 75')

Unused Sub: 22. Dylan TERVIT

Yellow Cards: Nil

Red Cards: Nil