By Adrian Ceddia
GREEN Gully was cruelly denied three points in its round 15 clash with Bulleen on Sunday and remains in the Vodafone Cup relegation zone.
The Cavaliers led twice at home against the Zebras and enjoyed the better chances, had more possession and played with an improved intensity, but were pegged back twice and had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Matthew Sanders scored twice for Gully, while Ross Antoniadis found the score sheet in the first half before Harbinson struck for his fifth of the season for the Zebras.
Green Gully’s early enthusiasm was rewarded in the first 15 minutes when Sanders opened the scoring.
After sustained pressure, the home side received a corner which was expertly taken by Andy Vargas. The low dipping cross was met by Sanders, whose header took a deflection and rolled into the back of the net.
Bulleen’s response was typical of a team at the top end of the table, and it almost equalised through Ben Harbinson after Gully midfielder Jeffrey Fleming attempted to head back to keeper Pasi Schwalger.
Bulleen did find the levelling goal only five minutes after going behind, from a perfectly constructed free kick. Full back Antoniadis was in best position to latch onto the cross, before sweetly timing a header which gave Schwalger no chance.
The Cavaliers failed to drop their heads and took the lead a second time just two minutes after the equaliser.
A searching run from Fleming down the left flank landed at the feet of Sanders, who had made an ideal position in the six-yard box, and the youngster made no mistake with the tap in.
Bulleen had another chance to score on the half hour mark when Green Gully failed to clear its defensive lines, but there was no way through for the visitors, who went into the break a goal down.
Just as the Cavaliers looked safe in possession and headed for the points, Bulleen again pulled level with just five minutes remaining when Harbinson latched onto a long ball from Dean Tartaglia. The header looped over the head of Schwalger, who was fractionally off his line.
Gully had another golden opportunity to score before the final whistle, but an Andy Vargas shot cannoned into the cross bar.
and was swept away from danger.
