By Alen Delic

Moreland City has taken a point from Eastern Lions in a cold and wet encounter at Campbell Reserve on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts had their chances but in the end they needed a Casey Thomas brace to escape with a point after the Lions took the lead early in the second half through goals to Andrew Williams and Ziggy Razuki.

It would be the first and only time the two newly-promoted sides from the 2014 Zagame’s State League 1 would meet this year. 

Just two minutes in, the champions of the East found their first chance. 

A brilliant Phil Ajao run down ended with a cross that picked out Jarrah Clear, but the winger’s header was smothered well by Moreland keeper Brandon Galgano.

But the chances were few and far between after the early opportunity, with both sides struggling to get any fluidity to their play due to the wet and heavy pitch. 

The Lions had a metaphoric curveball thrown at them when key man Ajao was forced off after coming off second best in a 50-50 and requiring stitches to stem the bleeding. 

It took 40 minutes for the chances to start flowing; first to the Lions via Razuki and Ellis, and then to the hosts via Vlad Khamees.

The breakthrough finally came for Moreland just before the half, after a scramble from a corner was blasted into an Eastern Lions’ defender’s hand, leaving the referee with no choice but to call the penalty.

Casey Thomas stepped up and duly converted, thundering his shot into the top left corner and taking Moreland into the half 1-0 up.

Moreland came out in the second half determined to build on its lead. 

The side almost did with Simsek flashing a ball across goal but no one could get a foot on it, while a clever chip from Khamees couldn’t be converted by either captain Orrie Kara or Simsek.

Moreland was made to rue those chances in the 57th minute when Razuki was brought down in the corner of the box, with Williams converting into the bottom right corner to level the scores.

Things went from bad to worse for Moreland just six minutes later, with Razuki finding himself one-on-one with Galgano after an extended period of pressure.

The winger gave the Lions the lead with a solid finish into the bottom left corner. 

It was a nervous 15 minutes for Moreland with the hosts desperate to get a result at home.

The equaliser came with a quarter of an hour to go after Liam Francis immaculately threaded a 30-yard-pass to Casey Thomas, who finished strongly, sprinting onto the ball and finishing first time to level the scores again.

It was Moreland that looked the more likely to get a win, but in the end the Lions held firm, and took a point back to the East.

Match details:

Moreland City 2 (Casey Thomas 45+2’ [PEN], 74’) drew with Eastern Lions 2 (Williams 57’ [PEN],  Razuki 63’) at Campbell Reserve, Moreland

Moreland  City: 1. Brandon GALGANO, 5. Yianni AVRAMIDIS, 18. Orrie KARA, 12.  Shane CARR, 3. Finn HUZZEY, 4. Quinn McDONALD, 8. Corey THOMAS, 13. Vlad  KHAMEES (10. Liam FRANCIS 70], 11. Kam SIMSEK [23. Mo KURUCU 70’), 14. Casey THOMAS, 7. Ossie KOSE (9. Lisandro PAZ 80’)
 
Subs: 17. Liam BRIAN, 16. Nathan ROURZELAS

Yellow card(s): None 

Red card(s): None
 
Eastern  Lions: 1. Andrew LIGHTFOOT, 2. William ELLIS, 3. Matthew PARRY, 5.  Thomas FALCONER, 6. Andrew WILLIAMS, 7. Ziggy RAZUKI, 10. Phil AJAO (8. Mitch BEAMISH 28’), 11.  Munyaradzi NYADZAYO, 13. Jarrah CLEAR, 15. Yianni TOUMANIDIS, 16. Shaun  KENNY
 
Subs: 32. Rob HAVERCROFT, 14. Jordan HORN, 4. Ryan WIDELSKI, 9. Daniel RODRIGUEZ

Yellow card(s): Williams 45+1’, Falconer 78’

Red card(s): None