Packed to its brim with pace, offensive menace and the emotions of a playoff, Sunday's encounter between the Marauders and Gryphons got the send off it so richly deserved in the final minutes.

Strikes from Antonio Sereno and Robert Tamale in quick succession, just minutes from the final whistle, cleared McMaster from a 1-1 deadlock and earned the Marauders a 3-1 victory and a measure of vengeance against their divisional rivals.

Splitting the season series with Guelph after a 2-0 road loss in September, McMaster also secured four points from a pair of contests against the top two teams in the OUA West with Sunday's result, having drawn the York Lions on the road Friday.

Captain Yunus Mollayev had the Marauders other tally, which came from the penalty spot, in the opening half, while goalkeeper Tristan Joyce stopped three of the four shots he faced in the win.

The hosts got off to a dream start Sunday, with Mollayev opening the scoring from the penalty spot in just the 15th minute after forward Joseph Guindy was fouled in the area.

Wrong-footing Guelph keeper Ryan Collins, the midfielder easily slotted home the spot kick low and inside the right post for 1-0.

McMaster's lead lasted 17 minutes, before the ever-dangerous Gryphons striker Youssef Zaghloul latched onto a ball on the left wing, cut inside and lashed an effort past Joyce to level the match in the 32nd minute.

Taking that deadlock into the halftime break, both teams emerged with purpose in the second, and had their share of chances to break through.

It seemed likely that those efforts would go for naught, until a spell of McMaster possession in the 88th minute saw an initial shot thunder off a block and fall to Sereno, who fired low through traffic and past Collins to send the Marauders, and their Ron Joyce Stadium faithful, into an eruption of celebration.

Those same fans had even more to cheer minutes later, as, with the Gryphons desperately throwing bodies forward in search of an equalizer, Dusan Kovacevic was sprung on a rapid counter, shrugged past a marker and squared for Tamale, who rolled past Collins for 3-1.

That decisive touch was the final one of the match, as the referee blew for full time and saw the Marauders and their supporters jubilant in celebration of a famous win.

NEXT UP: McMaster takes to the road for a pair of Thanksgiving weekend encounters with the Brock Badgers on Saturday, October 6 and Laurier Golden Hawks on Sunday, October 7.