By James Manton

Neither Brunswick City nor Whittlesea Ranges could be split on Saturday afternoon, as the sides battled out a 2-2 draw in a back-and-forth match at Dunstan Reserve.

Despite being the more convincing side throughout the match, Brunswick had to come from behind twice while also nearly winning with the final kick of the game.

Ahmet Turer came excruciatingly close to opening the scoring just seconds after kick-off as he found himself deep in the Ranges' box, but his shot cannoned off the crossbar and out to safety.

Both sides struggled to create chances early in the first half, with Resit Culculoglu's guilt-edged miss from a corner one of very few.

However it was the visitors who managed to open the scoring late in the half, as Matthew Cundari's cross from the byline found Mario Piraino for an open-goal tap-in.

But the lead didn't last long as Dimitri Vilthoulkas found himself on the end of a Juan Portillo cross, coolly sliding the ball past Gian Tapia and in for the equaliser just minutes from the break.

The second half began much like the first as both sides struggled to grab hold of the ascendancy early on.

Turer was a persistent threat for the home side, taking two shots on goal and setting up another for Culculoglu within a matter of minutes midway through the half.

But once again it was Whittlesea who somehow managed to take the lead as Attila Ofli found the back of the net after the ball pinballed around the Brunswick box before landing at his feet.

And just like the first half, City's equaliser came not long afterwards.

A handball in the Ranges' box gave the home side a penalty 10 minutes from time, with Turer deservedly stepping up and slotting the ball past the keeper.

Both sides had a number of chances to win the match in the final 10 minutes, with none closer than Abdiqafar Urushe's half volley in the final minute which struck the crossbar and went over.

However that proved to be the final kick of the match, with the referee blowing for full time and a hard-earned draw for both sides.

MATCH DETAILS

Brunswick City 2 drew with Whittlesea Ranges 2

BRUNSWICK: 15. Jake CREA, 45. Frank SERRATORE, 63. Duglas MENDEZ, 50. Resit CULCULOGLU, 48. Nick TZOULIS, 17. Evan KARAVITIS, 10. Juan PORTILLO (8. George MARKELIS 89'), 9. Ahmet TURER, 00. Dimitri VILTHOULKAS, 20. John TAWDROSS (49. Peter CONSTANTINOU 46'), 35. Anthony IANCHELLO (27. Abdiqafar URUSHE 73')

Unused substitutes: 1. Christy BENNETT-SPARK

Yellow card(s): Culculoglu 29', Turer 83'

Red card(s): Nil

WHITTLESEA RANGES: 1. Gian TAPIA, 19. Adem MUSTEGANGIC, 20. Tobias HAEGELE, 5. Daniel SOTIROPOULOS, 2. Pavle DURKIC, 17. Stefan BARICEVIC, 4. Mario PIRAINO, 7. Matthew CUNDARI, 25. Attila OFLI, 15. Matthew KUNDEVSKI, 23. Ryan PIPER (8. Goran DAMIANOVSKI 83')

Unused substitutes: 27. Jarrod HILL, 21. Marijan TOTIC, 13. Gianni FALZON, 16. Daniel SERAFINOVSKI

Yellow card(s): Haegele 83'

Red card(s): Nil