Words: Michael Flynn, Brisbane City
Image: Frank De Luca, Brisbane City

Brisbane City extended their unbeaten home record, and moved to third on the ladder, after holding Harimau Muda ‘A’ to a 0-0 draw at Spencer Park on Thursday evening.

Both sides spurned late chances to claim the win in the hard-fought but entertaining contest, which saw the energetic and pacey Malaysians create better opportunities only to be shut out by the diligent City defence.

A cagey opening saw some tentative early forays from both sides before Ferris Danial Mat Nasir produced the first shot on target in the 11^th minute with speculative 25 yard effort.

City’s first chance came shortly after when striker Daniel Sharov rose strongly amid traffic only to head wide of the target from Cameron Tew’s floated free kick.

Harimau Muda suffered for poor finishing throughout the night and Saarvindran Dendrn scooped the first of his attempts over the bar 15 minutes in.

It preceded a purple patch for City that saw Matt Biggins’ header cleared off the line by Mohamad Fandi Othman, before midfielder Young Jae-Joo forced Harimau Muda goalkeeper Mohd Farhan Abu Bakar into a sharp save with a first time strike from 20 yards.

The visitors regained the ascendency prior to the half but despite their pace failed to get in behind City’s back four of Tew, Luca Jannese, Yoshiro Sakurai and Kai Smith and resorted to further speculative attempts from range.

Following the restart Harimau fashioned further chances, forcing Young to clear off the line when Muhammad Jafri Muhd Firdaus Chew fired a low drive through traffic from a half-cleared corner kick.

Midfielders Young and Jordan Loi worked hard to unsettle the Malaysians in midfield, however it was the introduction of burly striker Jarrod Kyle for Sharov just after the hour that provided City renewed impetus and extra muscle in the front third.

The visitors further dominated possession as the contest wore on, but despite sharp build-up continued to suffer for poor finishing that failed to trouble City custodian Matt Stein.

Harimau Muda found a further gear in the final five minutes, however were twice denied by telling interventions from Tew.

The left back produced a timely lunge to block Shahrul Moh Saad’s shot on the edge of the area before clearing off the line shortly after from substitute Arif Farhan Mo Isa’s final minute strike - the resulting rebound falling for Dandrn only for the attacking midfielder to blaze the best chance of the night over from 15 yards.

City came nearly pinched a winner in injury time when wide man Nick Buckley played a pin-point lob for Kyle through on goal, however the striker failed to control with only the keeper to beat.

The nil-all result is the first time a local side has held Harimau Muda scoreless this season.

Brisbane City 0
Harimau Muda ‘A’ 0