By Tomasz Ng (@tomaszng07)

Avondale Heights avoided a defeat away to FC Bendigo thanks to a stunning late strike from Daniel Slovacek in a 2-2 draw at Tom Flood Sports Centre on Saturday night.

Andrew Le Page handed the visitors - on an 11-game winning streak - a first-half lead, but Bendigo hit back hard after the break, taking the lead through well taken goals by Alon Blumgart and Daniel Purdy.

But it wasn’t to be for the hosts, who could only watch as Slovacek’s long-range effort curled into the back of the net.

Bendigo had its ‘keeper Sebastian Mattei to thank for most of the match, and he was straight into the action as Avondale launched a barrage of strikes.

Burakhan Koca tested Mattei with a shot with an initial shot inside the area, yet the ‘keeper had to get straight back up to pounce on Slovacek’s follow up.

The home side was finding it hard to contain Avondale, and spurned a couple of half-chances before the visitors once again piled up the shots in a short space of time.

Koca hit the post in the 18th minute from a tight angle, before Le Page finally broke the deadlock in the 24th minute.

A long free kick from defence was flicked on by Oleksiy Khrapko, and Le Page simply chipped Mattei who had come off his line to put pressure on the winger.

Avondale was looking hungry and almost made it two goals in two minutes, but Daniel Slovacek’s shot hit the crossbar.

Mattei was once again called into action just past the half-hour.

With Daniel Slovacek’s header seemingly goal bound, the ‘keeper stuck out a paw to tip the ball onto the crossbar, and the follow-up shot was blocked on the line by Steve Martin.

Bendigo had Mattei to thank for ensuring it only trailed by the one goal at the break, and it didn’t have to wait long to turn the game on its head in the second half.

Following a long ball from deep, Blumgart simply took a touch to line up the shot, and blasted it past John Scollo, leaving him little chance of even getting near the ball.

Avondale was keen to retake the lead, and once again found Mattei in the way as Le Page had a free kick brilliantly saved, while Koca only managed to sky his effort a minute later when Daniel Slovacek left the Bendigo defence for dead to set up his teammate.

Eventually Avondale was made to rue its profligacy as Bendigo scored through Purdy.

The ball had initially been played over the top of the Avondale defence for Matthew Breeze, but Scollo was quick off his line to smother the chipped shot just outside the box.

Shouts that the ball may have been handled outside the area by the keeper were quickly silenced though, as Purdy lobbed everyone to put the ball in the back of the empty net.

Bendigo was just over a quarter of an hour away from a huge result, but could only hold out for seven minutes as Slovacek curled in a beauty from 25 yards that left Mattei absolutely no chance of saving.

Avondale Heights coach Anthony Barbieri was happy enough to have rescued a point, with his team showing plenty of character to keep on attacking despite losing its lead and going behind.
“It was a very interesting sort of game, very cold and wet conditions, bit windy, tough pitch but we probably should have buried the game in the first half, we had several chances,” Barbieri said.

“Their goalkeeper was probably their best on ground so that tells you something about the game but the boys showed good character after going down 2-1 - all credit to the boys we created chances all the way to the end.”

One of Bendigo’s heroes on the night – goalkeeper Mattei - was happy with the point against the league leaders, and is pleased to have picked up his form in recent weeks.

“It was a good performance - a good sign of where we’ve come from, I think they beat us 3-2 in the first game but the boys have come a long way and it was a good result,” Mattei said.

“[My form’s] gotten better, it’s taken long enough but as long as the team is performing well and getting the results, that’s my job so it doesn’t really bother me as long as we get the clean sheet and the points.”

FC Bendigo will now turn its attention to hosting Whittlesea Ranges next week, while Avondale Heights hosts Sunshine George Cross, which is the only team to have beaten the league leader this season.

MATCH DETAILS

FC Bendigo 2 (Blumgart 53’, Purdy 75’) drew with Avondale Heights 2 (Le Page 24’, D. Slovacek 82’) at Tom Flood Sports Centre [HT: 0-1]

FC Bendigo: 1. Sebastian MATTEI (GK), 3. Aaron COHEN, 5. Josh ROMEIN, 6. Alon BLUMGART, 7. Trent WATERSON, 8. Viktor RODRIGUEZ (13. Finn HUZZEY 87’), 10. Matthew BREEZE, 14. Ryan DAVIDSON, 16. Steve MARTIN, 17. Jonathan RYAN, 18. Daniel PURDY (15. Josh DWYER 81’)

Unused subs: 2. Tom SHAPER, 12. Godwill BASHER, 22. Christopher XERRI

Cards: Nil

Avondale Heights: 20. John SCOLLO (GK), 31. Michele CRAZIA, 15. Zoran PAJIC, 33. Dean CAMPELJ, 7. Andrew LE PAGE, 34. Oleksiy KHRAPKO, 3. Fabian GUGLIANDOLO (24. Josh SLOVACEK 80’), 10. Burakhan KOCA, 14. Daniel SLOVACEK, 22. Stephen BARICEVIC (6. Bosin GEORGEVSKI 77’), 11. Arturo YMERI

Unused subs: 1. Anthony SARIC (GK), 5. Andrew SACCHEZA, 19. Phillip LLOYD

Cards: Nil