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Nov 13, 2011   |  2:51AM AET

Victory held by Mariners

Victory held by Mariners

Melbourne Victory have extended their unbeaten run to four games in the Hyundai A-League, holding the Central Coast Mariners to a 0-0 draw at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday night.

Melbourne Victory have extended their unbeaten run to four games in the Hyundai A-League, holding the Central Coast Mariners to a 0-0 draw at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday night.

Captain Adrian Leijer spawned the best chance of the match for the visitors from a second-half corner, with his flick header just flying wide of the near post.

It was a brave performance from the Victory, who were backing up seven days after their brave 2-2 draw against champions Brisbane with nine men.

Coach Mehmet Durakovic was forced to make five changes from the Brisbane game, and the inclusions had an influence in the opening half.

Matthew Kemp – playing his first game of the season – had the best chance to open the scoring for the Victory in the first 45 minutes, rounding Mariners goalkeeper Matt Ryan, but the full-back could not control his final touch around the shot-stopper, and the hosts cleared.

Teenage goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas, who played the majority of the match against the Roar off the bench, looked steady throughout the contest, and gained confidence after collecting an angled shot from striker Bernie Ibini-Isei in the seventh minute.

Thomas’ real test, though, came in the 29th minute, when a Matt McGlinchey strike slipped through the shot-stopper’s hands, only for centre-back Rodrigo Vargas to clear off the line.

Vargas’ clearance went only as far as Daniel McBreen, whose on target header was denied only by the underside of the crossbar, before Thomas steadied the situation with a clearing punch.

Leijer had the important role of shutting down Ibini-Isei, and he managed to quell the influence of the Nigerian-born front man, and blocked several Mariners attempts on goal to support his young ‘keeper, Thomas.

The second half saw Victory create many chances in the area from corners earned, however Leijer’s header wide of the goal was their best sight on Ryan’s net.

The Mariners pushed hard late to find a winner, with a McBreen header from a corner deep into second-half injury time, but the Victory were gallant to hold on to secure a vital point.

Victory now have seven points from their opening six games, level with Adelaide United.

Melbourne Victory 0
Central Coast 0