By Alen Delic (@AlenDelic)

A goal apiece in the first half left Dandenong Thunder and Northcote City with a point each on a windy Wednesday night at George Andrews Reserve. 

A Matthew Millar goal gave the Thunder an early lead after 16 minutes, but it was cancelled out on the stroke of halftime when Jonathan Munoz converted a penalty won by Liam Wooding.

The game kicked off as more of a calculated battle than teams throwing themselves into the fray. Dandenong lined up with a 4-1-4-1, while Northcote, missing a number of players through injury and other commitments, also looked conservative in its 4-2-3-1 approach.

Northcote had the first real chance of the game when Wooding nodded through a long ball to Wade Dekker leaving the forward with just the keeper to beat, but he put it just wide of the left-hand post. 

The hosts were perhaps lucky to have eleven men on the pitch when Faisal Sakhi Zada launched himself studs first into a challenge on Jonathan Bounas.

But the referee only waved on for the advantage, before then awarding a foul against Jonathan Bounas, much to Northcote coach Goran Lozanovski’s dismay.  

A minute later, a quick counter from Dandenong produced the first goal. 

A long ball found Carl Lamb on the left wing, before laying it off to Kris Kioussis who whipped in a ball towards the edge of the six-yard-box. 

The cross found an unmarked Matt Millar; he threw himself at the ball and slipped it past keeper Chris Theodoridis to give the hosts the lead.

The game then swung in Dandenong’s favour, with the hosts having a plethora of half-chances, but it lacked any real potency.

It was another quarter of an hour before the next clear chance, again through a quick counter attack from the hosts.  

A clever ball inside to Kieran Dover found the youngster on the edge of the area.  With defenders standing off him, he attempted to curl it into the far post with his effort just going wide.

Northcote began to battle its way back into the game, building slowly with a sensible short passing game.  

The breakthrough finally came after 39 minutes courtesy of some high pressing by Northcote. 

An interception by Liam Wooding left the Adelaide player with a chance to advance into the 18-yard-box before being obstructed by two Thunder defenders, and earning the penalty.

There was no hesitation on who was going to take the resulting penalty, with Jonathan Munoz handed the duties.

He coolly slotted it into the bottom right corner, but there were no celebrations with Munoz instead hobbling before collapsing in pain.

Northcote coach Goran Lozanovski was forced to substitute him for Marino Gasparis.

The second period began slowly, with the crowd forced to wait 20 minutes before the first half-chance through a long shot from Liam Wooding, which went high and wide. 

Northcote again had a chance to take the lead after 74 minutes, when some brilliant work by substitute James Kalafatidis down the right wing found Wade Dekker on the penalty spot, but the striker put his effort just wide of the right-hand post. 

Dandenong’s Kris Kioussis had a chance to give the hosts the lead after 80 minutes when he got on the end of a Carl Lamb cross at the far post, driving a shot low and hard just past the post.

Soon after, Kieran Dover also had a chance to steal the points when he was released for a one-on-one with the Northcote keeper, only for Theodoridis to make a magnificent point-blank save with his feet.

Northcote came into the game already short staffed, with just four substitutes named on the bench.  

Their injury woes got worse with just five minutes to go, when Kalafatidis was forced to come off after rolling his ankle in a challenge with Sakhi Zada. 

The hosts had a chance to steal the game from the walking wounded Northcote deep into injury time when they were awarded a foul on the edge of the area.

Feston Azizi opted to take responsibility for their last-minute chance, but his free kick fell harmlessly into the hands of Chris Theodoridis, before the referee signaled time on the game.

The 1-1 draw left Northcote City looking comfortable in seventh spot, while the young Dandenong Thunder side still face a real threat of relegation, only five points away from second-last.

Dandenong Thunder coach Dean Hennessey was satisfied with the point, but was left ruing his side’s missed chances at the death.

“On reflection of the way the game went, a point was most probably fair,” Hennessey said. 

“From our point of view having taken the lead, and then given away a penalty, we could have taken the three out of it.

“Plus we had a really great chance at the end through Kieran where Chris has just made a great save with his feet. 

“But overall, I think it was a fair result.”

Northcote stand-in captain Kristian Konstantinidis said he was also happy to have taken a point out of a tough encounter, given the number of players his side was missing.

“In the last month, we set a target to get 10 points in our last five games,” he said.

“We’ve now got five points in three games, so we’re definitely on track.  

“The way the game went, we’ll definitely take a point out of it and move onto next week against Oakleigh.”

MATCH DETAILS 

Dandenong Thunder 1 (Millar 16’) drew with Northcote City 1 (Munoz 40’) at George Andrews Reserve, Dandenong [HT: 1-1]

DANDENONG THUNDER STARTING XI: 21. Zaim ZENELI 12. Brendan ELMAZOVSKI 2. Jarryd BARNES 4. Ramazan TAVSANCIOGLU 5. Faisal SAKHI ZADA 16. Alan KEARNEY 11. Kris KIOUSSIS 7. Kieran DOVER 8. Matthew MILLAR 9. Feston AZIZI 20. Carl LAMB 

SUBSTITUTES: 1. Fraser SIDDALL 3. Ilir PALI 15. Rees DUNCAN 23. Josh CARVANA 17. Jarrod BLACKBOURN 

NORTHCOTE CITY STARTING XI: 22. Chris THEODORIDIS 3. Nasr SAID 7. Jonathan MUNOZ 17. Anthony RIZR 16. Greg LOMBARDO 11. Liam WOODING 5. Philip PETRESKI 15. Wade DEKKER 23. Jonathan BOUNAS 4. Kristian KONSTANTINIDIS 6. Aaron WARD

SUBSTITUTES: 1. Luke GAVALAS 10. Marino GASPARIS 14. Michael CATALANO 8. James KALAFATIDIS