Brisbane Roar has extended their unbeaten run to three matches after a 0-0 draw with Sydney FC at Suncorp Stadium on Tuesday night.
The hosts had the majority of chances but were unable to put away the Sky Blues in steamy conditions.
The result extended Brisbane Roar interim coach Frans Thijssen’s record to two wins and three draws in six matches since he took over the side in late November.
The Dutch international revealed tonight was the first time he had been frustrated with his players at half time.
“The first half was not good enough and I told them that at half time,” he said.
“It was not the team that I know because they played at lot of long balls and they [Sydney] are physically a lot stronger than we are and if you lose a lot of one against ones then you never get back in the game.”
But he praised his young players who covered for the number of injuries in his squad.
“Young players are good but it’s good to have experience,” he said.
Thijssen said it is important for his team to pick up three points away to Wellington Phoenix on Sunday in their final game before the AFC Asian Cup break.
The earliest excitement of tonight’s match was supplied by in-form attacker Henrique, who picked up where he has left off in recent weeks with a defence-splitting dribble.
The Brazilian jinked his way into the penalty area before being tackled but the crowd’s claims for a penalty were waved away by referee Chris Beath.
Dimitri Petratos next teed up Jean Carlos Solorzano for a shot straight at Sydney ‘keeper Vedran Janjetovic as chances began to flow midway through the first half, with Berni Ibini flashing a volley wide in the 24th minute.
Alex Brosque next had a back-post header saved smartly by Roar ‘keeper Jamie Young.
Roar then had consecutive shots on goal from Petratos, but Janjetovic was up to both to see out a scoreless first 45 minutes.
It was again Henrique who sparked play back to life as he, Solorzano and Petratos linked up to work a ball across goal that was crucially cut out by the Sydney keeper.
Substitute Christopher Naumoff almost made an immediate impact just moments later when he arrived at the back-post to head a deflected cross wide of goal.
The most promising opportunity was still to come as a half-cleared corner was turned back toward goal and into Solorzano’s path, but the ball bounced just out of the Costa Rican’s reach.
Sydney striker Marc Janko steered a bicycle kick past the post late in proceedings while Solorzano blazed high in stoppage time, ensuring the two rivals shared a hard-earned point each.
Brisbane Roar 0
Sydney FC 0
Hyundai A-League Round 13 2014/15 season
Tuesday, 30 December at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Chris Beath
Crowd: 15,765
Brisbane Roar: 4. Adam SAROTA (3. Shane STEFANUTTO 89’), 5. Corey BROWN, 8. Steven LUSTICA, 10. HENRIQUE, 12. Jean Carlos SOLORZANO, 13. Jade NORTH (c), 14. Daniel BOWLES, 15. James DONACHIE, 18. Luke BRATTAN (28. Brandon BORRELLO 74’), 21. Jamie YOUNG (GK), 23. Dimitri PETRATOS,
Substitutes not used: 16. Devante CLUT, 20. Kofi DANNING, 30. Matthew ACTON (GK)
Yellow cards: 5. Corey BROWN 83’
Red cards: Nil
Sydney FC: 2. Seb RYALL, 6. Nikola PETKOVIC, 8. Milos DIMITRIJEVIC, 9.Shane SMELTZ (21. Marc JANKO 61’), 11. Bernie IBINI, 14. Alex BROSQUE (c), 16. Alex GERSBACH, 18. Peter TRIANTIS (12. Hagi GLIGOR 81’), 20. Vedran JANJETOVIC (GK), 23. Rhyan GRANT (13. Christopher NAUMOFF 61’), 25. Aaron CALVER
Substitutes not used: 1. Ivan NECEVSKI (GK), George TIMOTHEOU
Yellow cards: 3. Rhyan GRANT 14’, 18. Peter TRIANTIS 70’
Red cards: Nil
