Bulls FC Academy and Central Coast Mariners played out a 1-1 draw at Sydney United Sports Centre on hot Saturday afternoon.
The visitors took a lead into the break courtesy of Aidan Milicevic’s accurate effort midway through first half.
However, a resurgent second half from the Bulls saw them pull level through Mason Wells.
The hosts threw everything at the Mariners defence in the final stages, but a solid goalkeeping display from Patrick Beach in the away goal meant the points were shared.
The pace of winger Sunday Yona proved an early asset for the Bulls and within three minutes, the side created a chance.
Yona latching onto a long ball into the right channel finding Diego Bonilla with his cutback, who fired straight at Beach in the Mariners goal.
Yona picked up the ball again three minutes later driving into the right of the box teeing up Bonilla once more, however, this time the forward shot over the bar.
Central Coast responded to this early pressure through Marco Arambasic in the 10th minute.
The forward twisting and turning in the left of the box before driving a shot towards the bottom right corner that was parried away by Bulls’ goalkeeper Alexander Robinson.
The Mariners carried on this momentum and found the opening goal 21 minutes in.
Milicevic making room for a curling effort from the edge of the box that nestled in the bottom right corner.
Milicevic eyed up a second with 11 minutes to play in the first half, lining up a long-range effort that Robinson held onto.
Bulls Academy had a great chance to restore parity heading into halftime
With six minutes to go in the first half, Stephan De Robillard shifted the ball inside from the left of the box seeing his right-footed strike fly narrowly past the right post.
However, Central Coast held on to take their slender advantage into halftime.
Mariners’ Milicevic continued to be a threat for the side after the break and nearly doubled his tally nine minutes in.
Lachlan Bayliss finding space in behind on the right and passing across the box to Milicevic, but he scuffed his shot wide of the left post.
The Bulls came the closest they had all game to levelling the scores just after the hour mark as Sunday’s first-time effort from close range clipped the outside of the right post.
The side came forward again over the next five minutes with Bonilla and Wells drawing comfortable saves from Beach.
After some sustained pressure for Bulls Academy, they were finally rewarded with the equalising goal in the 72nd minute.
Substitute Wells firing a powerful right-footed effort into the top left corner from inside the box to set up an intriguing final portion of the game.
The Bulls almost took the lead with 10 minutes to go as a fast move through the middle of the pitch found Edward Caspers whose central effort was eventually held onto by Beach.
Five minutes later, Wells had a chance for a second for the Bulls jinking inside from the left and drawing a superb save from Beach down to his right.
The hosts carried on pushing for a winner, but Mariners’ keeper Beach continued to produce the saves to keep the Bulls at bay.
With one minute of regular time to play substitute Sebastian Hernandez nearly found that winning goal, however, he fired over from the edge of the box.
Seconds later, Hernandez forced Beach into another vital save with a low effort from the left of the box.
Despite the late barrage of chances for the home side they were unable to find the goal that would deliver all three points and had to settle for a draw.
Bulls FC Academy coach Zeljko Kalac was impressed with the turnaround shown by his side in the second half but couldn’t believe they hadn’t picked up the win in the end.
“I think we just held the ball better in the second half. Our ball retention in the first half was quite poor – we didn’t see the passes,” he said.
“We created too many chances in a half of football to not win.
“Football is all about moments – all about goals, if you don’t score you can’t win.”
Central Coast Mariners coach Luke Wilkshire was disappointed with the second half showing from his side after taking the lead into the halftime.
“We hung on in the end for the point. First half I thought was good, but second half it wasn’t. We were turning the ball over, copping a lot of transition moments, a lot of opportunities so it was disappointing on that front,” he said.
“I think they had players who came on and made a difference for them and ours didn’t and that was probably the difference at the back end of that second half.”
Match Stats
Bulls FC Academy 1 (Mason Wells 72’)
Central Coast Mariners 1 (Aidan Milicevic 21’)
Saturday 11 February, 2023
Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park
Referee: Sebastian Andrews
Assistant Referees: Alessandro Llana and Hayden Michlmayr
Fourth Official: Hayden Langholz
Bulls FC Academy: 1. Alexander Robinson (GK), 2. Anthony Krilic, 3. Isaac Hovar, 4. Joel Bertolissio, 9. Diego Bonilla (18. Sebastian Hernandez 75’), 10. Ayman Gulasi (8. Mason Wells 56’), 11. Stephan De Robillard (13. Lachlan Macdonald 69’), 14. Sunday Yona (20. Adrian Knez 69’), 17. Rhys Youlley, 22. Edward Caspers (c), 39. Theph Theph (12. Charlie Ragg 80’)
Substitutes Not Used: 40. Griffin Barry (GK)
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Central Coast Mariners: 30. Patrick Beach (GK), 4. Dean Larson, 5. Joshua Hong, 7. Aidan Milicevic (11. Bailey Brandtman 69’), 8. Lachlan Bayliss (c), 9. Matej Busek 80’), 14. Marco Arambasic (2. Sasha Kuzevski 56’), 15. Jordan Segreto (10. Nicholas Duarte 80’), 16. William Arnold, 18. George Daniel, 21. Maksim Kasalovic, 24. Zac Zoricich
Substitutes Not Used: 40. Alexander Parkes (GK), 13. Tobias Peil
Yellow Cards: Joshua Hong 69’, Sasha Kuzevski 66’, Nicholas Duarte 90+2’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Edward Caspers (BA)
2 – Patrick Beach (CCM)
1 – Sunday Yona (BA)
Report by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
