Gold Coast United Youth has shared the points with Melbourne Victory Youth after a 1-1 draw in its first home match at Owen Park on Sunday.
Gold Coast United Youth has shared the points with Melbourne Victory Youth after a 1-1 draw in its first home match at Owen Park on Sunday.
Both teams started spritely using the full width of the pitch, Melbourne having the first chance to open the score.
A cross put in from the right by Stephen Hatzikostas caused problems for United defenders, Ben Wearing narrowly putting the ball into his own net after a clumsy clearance.
Sustained pressure from the Victory paid off in the 17th minute when Aziz Behich fed through a well weighted pass from the left into the path of Mate Duganzic who kept his composure to net into the bottom corner.
Duganzic, who was given 10 first-team minutes in Victory’s Saturday night thriller against Gold Coast, caused problems on both flanks for United Youth, his work rate second to none.
Melbourne pressed hard when not in possession forcing turnovers from Gold Coast who struggled to control the midfield, its first clear shot on goal coming in the 45th minute from captain Steven Lustica from just inside the box.
With chances few and far between for both sides, Victory headed into the break 1-0 up.
As both sides emerged from the break it was Melbourne who had the chance to extend its lead three minutes in.
A well taken free kick just outside the left of the box by Kliment Taseski managed to find its way through a maze of players, hitting the right hand post and bouncing out.
Gold Coast found an equaliser in the 52nd minute when half-time sub Ben Halloran skipped into the area before cutting back a pass for striker Chris Harold to tap home, his third goal of the season.
United nearly had a second 10 minutes later when a corner cleared by Victory found its way to James Brown lurking just outside the box, his dipping volley landing on top of the goal net.
Both teams traded blows throughout the second half, play moving up and down the ground. Victory almost found a winner late in the game when captain Aziz Behich firing an angled drive from just outside the area forcing keeper Jerrad Tyson to dive to left to keep it out.
Gold Coast United Youth 1 (Harold 52)
Melbourne Victory Youth 1 (Duganzic 17)
@ Owen Park, Southport, 27/9/09
