Western United was left to rue some missed chances in the Ninja A-League Women, drawing 0-0 with Central Coast Mariners at Ironbark Fields on Friday night.
Both sides had their moments but United felt like the side in control for the majority of the fixture, fashioning a number of good chances on goal.
Kahli Johnson came closest with a spectacular long-range effort that hit the crossbar in the second half as the defence clinched a first clean sheet of the campaign and a point in Round 2.
Western United team news
There was one change to Kat Smith’s starting XI as Melissa Taranto stepped into the midfield in place of Emily Roach.
Sara Eggesvik was named on the bench for the first time and lay in waiting for her Ninja A-League debut.
First Half
Western United started slightly the slower of the two sides but quickly grew into proceedings as Catherine Zimmerman had the first sighter inside the opening 10 minutes.
That chance opened the game up as Chloe Logarzo got herself involved, hitting the target from outside the box and again from a lunging effort inside the area after linking up beautifully with Johnson.
Taranto and Isabel Dehakiz tested their respective ranges with efforts from outside the box but United didn’t have it all one way with Grace Maher needed to make a timely goal-line clearance after Peta Trimis had dinked the ball over Alyssa Dall’Oste.
Zimmerman saw lots of the ball as much of United’s good work came down the left wing between her and Johnson, although Sasha Grove was able to get forward with a couple of buccaneering runs in support of Aimee Medwin on the opposite side.
That attacking promise couldn’t lead to a goal, though, as the Green and Black sought that missing final ball to pierce the Mariners resistance.
Second Half
The Green and Black got straight on the front foot and had its biggest chance of the game within minutes of the restart.
Zimmerman continued her good work from the first period with a delightful cross to the back post, but Medwin just mistimed her jump and got underneath her header as the ball flashed over the crossbar from close range.
Keiwa Hieda had the next shot on target on 55 minutes after Logarzo found her on the edge of the box with a lovely flick, but Sarah Langman was equal to it to make a good low save.
Chances continued to come and Alana Cerne nearly scored a screamer on the half-volley, lasering her attempt from the edge of the area just wide of the goal.
Then came another nearly spectacular moment as Johnson swivelled away from a defender and launched the ball goalwards via her left boot. Langman was left rooted to the spot as she retreated to her goal line before breathing a sigh of relief as the ball cannoned off the crossbar and out of harm’s way.
As United kept on pushing in search of a winner, Eggesvik came on for her debut and Sandra Ibarguen added energy in the final third but it was one of those nights where the ball didn’t seem to want to find the goal.
