Melbourne Victory were forced to settle for a draw in tough conditions on Saturday afternoon, finishing 1-1 against Brisbane Roar.
SUMMARY
Head coach Jeff Hopkins made two changes to his lineup following last week’s win against Western Sydney Wanderers, as Catherine Zimmerman and Tiff Eliadis both returned to the starting XI.
Melina Ayres also made her long-awaited return to the match day squad via the bench.
The home side started brightly, with Katrina Gorry’s shot on target the first meaningful chance of the game, although Casey Dumont was alert from the first minute as she palmed the effort away.
Despite Brisbane’s strong start, it was Victory that landed the first major blow of the contest.
Beattie Goad has been in electric form in recent weeks, and once again showed her quality by drawing a foul in the penalty area just after the first drinks break.
Alex Chidiac stepped up to the spot and cooly converted for the second consecutive week, as Jeff Hopkins’ side grabbed the early lead.
The Roar though did not wait long to strike back, as just a minute later Shea Connors executed a remarkable turn and finish into the top corner, tying the scores at 1-1.
Outside of the two-minute burst in which both goals were scored, both teams looked relatively comfortable in defence throughout the first half.
The Roar almost snatched the lead just before half-time, but a free header in the box was directed off target.
The sides headed into half-time having with the scores still level and everything to play for in the second 45.
The hot conditions in Brisbane seemed to be taking their toll, with both sides slowly working their way back up to speed in the minutes following the break.
Zimmerman lashed a shot from the edge of the area which flew just high and wide in the first moment of danger for either side in the second half.
Hopkins looked to his star-studded bench to revitalise his team on the hour mark, as Ayres was substituted on for her first appearance of 2023.
The striker almost marked her return with an incredible goal, but her curling effort was denied by a fingertip save with just five minutes remaining.
Dumont continued to stand tall in the Victory goal by making several vital saves throughout the second half, most notably when she kept out another fine strike from Gorry in what was one of the final chances of the game.
Ultimately, neither side could find the winner as Victory took a hard-fought point back to Melbourne.
KEY MOMENT
Alex Chidiac as composed as ever – another classy penalty finish.
IMPLICATIONS
The result means Victory maintain their six-point advantage over Brisbane with just a handful of games remaining in the season.
RESULT
Liberty A-League 2022/23 Round 14
Brisbane Roar 1 (Connors 22′)
Melbourne Victory 1 (Chidiac (p) 21′)
NEXT UP
The international break means Victory will not return to the pitch until the Pride Cup game against Adelaide United on Sunday 26th February, kicking off at 5:40pm AEDT at AAMI Park.
