A refreshed and rejuvenated Dandenong City capitalised on the break as the club drew against second-placed Avondale 1-1 on the road in round 22 of the NPL.
The first half was fought in midfield and neither side produced many big chances, with the hosts firing two shots on target to Dandenong’s one.
As a result, neither team found the back of the net in the first half.
The Avengers found the breakthrough in the 61st minute, completing catching City off guard when the visitors were dispossessed in midfield.
It left the defence vulnerable, with one quick pass being played into a sprinting Yusuf Ahmed.
Ahmed took advantage of the space and fired the ball past Matthew Marrum and into the net while being tackled.
Dandenong searched for the remainder of the half for an equaliser but couldn’t seem to generate a major chance.
That was until heavy pressure in the middle of the pitch saw the visitors steal possession and launch on a counter attack in the 87th minute.
The ball came out to Malik Abuusba on the right wing, who was held up but kept his composure and waited for more cavalry to arrive.
He spotted Valli Cesnik cutting through the box and hit him with a perfectly placed pass, allowing Cesnik to get within close range and fire it home to knot the game up.
When the referee blew the whistle for full time, City had shared the points with Avondale, a very impressive result as the Avengers currently sit second on the table.
The hosts had four shots on target to Dandenong’s three, coming from 13 shots to City’s nine.
Dandenong still remains in seventh, with the result being the club’s ninth draw for the season to go along with seven wins and six losses.
City has yet another test awaiting in round 23 as the club welcomes fourth-placed Oakleigh to Frank Holohan Soccer Complex.
