Blacktown City hold White Eagles at home

A penalty miss from Robbie Younis meant that Bonnyrigg White Eagles missed out on all three points against Blacktown City on Saturday evening.
Despite the penalty and a flurry of late chances, Bonnyrigg White Eagles didn’t do enough to dispose of a stubborn Blacktown City, who backed up from their Wednesday match to claim a share of the points.
In truth, the 1-1 draw was a fair result, as both sides made reasonable but not significant inroads on the other over the course of a grueling, yet highly watchable match at Bonnyrigg Sports Centre.
It was a chess match on the sideline too, as the hugely respected pair of Brian Brown and Mark Crittenden looked to make the changes and adjustments that would win the game and again in the tactical battle, honours were even.
Both goals were scored in what was an open and entertaining first-half, Mitchell Long scoring a neatly taken opener before former Bonnyrigg attacker Harris Gaitatzis equalised for Blacktown City.
Crittenden’s side seemed not to be suffering any ill effects after their midweek capitulation, when they blew a three goal lead against Sutherland Sharks, and they made some decent early running against last season’s run away Premiership winners.
The first-half was an open affair, as both sides knocked the ball around well, gradually feeling their way into the game.
It took until the 24′ minute for a reasonable opportunity to present itself, as Travis Major’s piercing ball from midfield caused the Bonnyrigg defence problems. Eventually, Matthew Mayora’s shot was blocked by Benjamin Spruce.
2’ minutes later, Blacktown City should have taken the lead when Sean Rooney played a beautiful slide rule ball to Mayora, but he was denied by a sprawling Matthew Nash.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles needed just one opportunity to take the lead and it presented itself on the half hour.
A set piece from the left was poorly dealt with by the Blacktown City defence and Mitchell Long was on hand to strike an accurate volley past Brody Crane from the edge of the area.
The home side had Nash to thank for preserving their lead when he denied Mayora again from a tight angle, though the Blacktown City player should have squared to the unmarked Harris Gaitatzis.
Bonnyrigg should have doubled their lead in the 39′ minute when Younis won a penalty, but the usually reliable number 9 saw his fairly average effort stopped by Crane, who once he guessed correctly, had little to do other than get in the way of the shot.
It was a miss that would prove costly as the game reached its conclusion.
Spurred on by Younis’ miss, Blacktown City found an equaliser 3’ minutes later and it was the former Bonnyrigg man Gaitatzis who delivered it.
This time it was the home side who were lax in dealing with a set piece and when Matthew Lewis crossed from the left, Rooney leaped high to knock down to Gaitatzis, who finished with the help of a slight deflection.
Bonnyrigg emerged reinvigorated for the second-half and they made most of the running, as Blacktown City seemed content to sit back and strike on the counterattack. 
Long had worked as hard as ever and he came close to putting his side ahead in the 70′ minute, but Crane saved smartly at his near post.
Lewis blocked a shot from Tynan Diaz and Adrian Ucchino struck the post from distance as Bonnyrigg knocked on the door.
The points seemed destined to be shared when Bonnyrigg substitute Vuko Tomasevic struck a fierce, trademark left footer from distance that deflected narrowly wide of Crane’s goal, and so it proved as the match ended all square.
Both coaches deemed the result to be a fair one, after an absorbing 90 minutes.
Brown said: "I think over the 90’ minutes it’s probably a fair result.
"It was one of those games where neither side dominated and it came down to a mistake or a chance. The only time we really started to get going was in the final 30’ minutes when we made a few changes."
Crittenden agreed. "I’m very happy with the performance, especially as we were backing up from Wednesday," he said.
"It’s never easy coming here and they’re such a good side, so after playing 90’ minutes on Wednesday and then coming here, we’ll take the point."
Match Stats

Bonnyrigg White Eagles 1 (Mitchell Long 30′)
Blacktown City FC 1 (Harris Gaitatzis 42′)
Saturday 27th April, 2013

Bonnyrigg Sports Centre, Bonnyrigg Heights
Referee: Stephen Lucas
Assistant Referees: Nicholas Backo and Valerio Bertuccioli
Fourth Official: Brett Lorimer
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Matthew Nash; 8.Alexander Canak (4.Vuko Tomasevic 82′), 21.Bo Hyun Chun, 14.Jordan Crighton, 7.Tynan Diaz, 10.Mitchell Long, 2.Alexander Mansuetto, 11.Benjamin Spruce, 5.Chris Tadrosse (C), 18.Adrian Ucchino, 9.Robert Younis (19.Aaron Peterson 62′)
Substitutes Not Used: 16.Howard Fondyke, 15.Steven Hesketh, 33.Nikodin Matic (GK)
Yellow Cards: Benjamin Spruce 15′, Chris Tadrosse 79′
Red Cards: Nil
Blacktown City FC: 1.Brody Crane; 4.Yianni Fragogiannis, 5.Patrick Gatt (C), 6.Matthew Lewis, 7.Travis Major, 3.Andrea Del Brocco, 10.Harris Gaitatzis (18.Dolor Edosomwan 90′), 11.Sean Rooney, 12.Kearyn Baccus (9.Ryuji Miyazawa 65′),15.Matthew Mayora (16.Luke Clifford 73′), 20.Jacob Poscoliero
Substitutes Not Used: 13.Blake Tuxford (GK)
Yellow Cards: Kearyn Baccus 20′, Jacob Poscoliero 29′, Matthew Mayora 52′, Patrick Gatt 57′, Matthew Lewis 90′
Red Cards: Jacob Poscoliero 90′
Player Ratings:
3 – Mitchell Long (BWE)
2 – Chris Tadrosse (BWE)
1 – Brody Crane (BCFC)
-By Matthew Connellan