Melbourne City has drawn its second match in a row to start its Y League campaign.
City travelled to Shepparton to take on a Roar team who had won its season opener 7-0 against Melbourne Victory a fortnight ago.
There were plenty of chances in the first 45 minutes, but the defences took over and the game slowed down in the second half as a goalless draw was played out between the two talented teams.
Starting XI
Tom Glover took his place in between the sticks while Nathaniel Atkinson brought some experience to a back four also comprised of Kerrin Stokes, Alec Mills and Harry Politidis.
Florin Berengeur took the arm band and was joined in midfield by Idrus Abdulahi and Jordi Valadon.
Moudi Najjar started upfront with Ramy Najjarine and Raphael Borges Rodrigues on the wings.
Our team is in for today’s clash with Brisbane in Shepparton! Kick off 3:00pm. #MCYvBRI #YLeague #ForeverCity pic.twitter.com/5zlNRq70cs
— Melbourne City Youth – LIVE (@MelbCityYouth) November 30, 2019
What happened?
City had all of the possession early and Najjarine was almost able to get the game off to a perfect start after winning the ball and flying past his marker down the right-hand side but his shot was wide to the left of the keeper.
Florin Berengeur showed his experience in the midfield and worked hard to support his back four and keep the ball moving forward.
Abdulahi kept Roar keeper Macklin Freke on his toes with a curling effort from outside the box but his attempt flew just over the crossbar.
City’s defence wasn’t tested until the 37th minute when a cutback found Roar striker Michael Muratovic who looked destined to find the back of the net but a brilliant reflex save from Glover kept scores level.
Najjarine again looked like scoring just moments before half time after getting 1-on-1 with the keeper but his shot again flashed just wide.
Led by Stokes and Mills, City’s defence remained solid in the second half but Brisbane’s back four were also up to the challenge with not many chances coming for either team.
City came closest on the 68th minute when some fancy footwork saw Abdulahi beat his marker and get inside the box to fire off a shot, but it was met by a strong right hand from Freke.
On a rare occasion, Brisbane were able to break through City’s defence in the 86th minute but Glover pulled off a stunning save diving low to his right to keep scores level.
Najjar looked to have won it for City with just seconds to play when he coolly found the back of the net after a well-placed Valadon cross, but it was ruled offside and it remained goalless.
What’s next?
City will travel to Adelaide next week to take on the Reds with the clash kicking off at 11am at Jack Smith Park.
