The men's state league division 3 north-west leaders maintained their goal-difference advantage at the top of the ladder after coming from behind to beat their mid-table opposition.

Sunbury United has 26 points on the ladder from 12 games, its positive 13-goal difference ahead of Yarraville Glory by one goal, while third-placed Keilor Park is two points back.

Cairnlea capitalised on a defensive lapse to open the scoring after five minutes on Saturday, and Sunbury hit back with a 15-minute burst to make the score 3-1.

Dominic Murdaca converted a penalty to equalise after a Cairnlea handball, before his breakaway played through Ierardo to give Sunbury the lead.

A defensive header gone wrong from Cairnlea then gave Sunbury an own goal, before the home team pegged the score back to 3-2 at half-time.

"Things were ominous, and after 10 minutes of the second half they scored again to make it 3-3," Sunbury coach Brendan Lakic said.

"We were feeling the pressure, they were the dominant team for the next 15 minutes."

Sunbury switched striker Zoran Romanovski to the bench and moved Ierardo from midfield to the forward line. The move paid off as he lobbed the keeper to give Sunbury a 4-3 lead.

"It was a goal that belonged in South Africa," Lakic said.

"With about 15 to go he ran onto a ball from Paul Shipp, spotted the keeper off his line and lobbed it into the far corner. The Cairnlea keeper got the angles right but the finish was immaculate."

Cairnlea, looking for an equaliser, was hit on the counter-attack, with Shipp setting up Ierardo again in the dying stages.

"You can preach and tell them about it [mental toughness] but you've got to have that steely resolve within," Lakic said.

"That not wanting to give up when you're behind or not wanting to settle for a draw."

Sunbury takes on sixth-placed Westgate (19 points) at Langama Park this Saturday at 3pm.