Match Report: South Island United 0-0 Bula FC

South Island United failed to capitalise on plethora of chances to grab all three points against Bula FC in their OFC Pro League encounter in Melbourne and had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

The scoreless stalemate at the Home of the Matildas took the Christchurch team back into the top four but Rob Sherman’s team felt they had done enough to claim all three points.

South Island United controlled much of the contest but were unable to find a breakthrough, with former Christchurch United goalkeeper Matthew Foord in Bula’s goal producing the save of the match in the 65th minute to tip a curling free kick from Ryan Feutz over the bar.

Jacob Krayem twice threatened as the Fijian side spent long periods of the game pinned inside their own half.

South Island’s early pressure nearly paid off when David Yoo struck the upright after 14 minutes, the best of several chances in a dominant opening 25 minutes.

The New Zealanders continued to press, and in the 30th minute Adam Supyk was forced to clear off his own line following a Yoo corner.

A neat one-two between Harris Zeb and Feutz just before the break ended with Zeb firing over the crossbar.

Despite all the dominance, South Island United could have been behind at half-time when 16-year-old Maikah Dau was clear through on goal on the stroke of half-time, but scooped his effort over the bar.

Bula FC’s best opportunities came on the counterattack in the second half. Supyk forced Steven Van Dijk into parrying a powerful cross with Thomas Dunn blazing the rebound over the bar.

Despite sustained pressure from South Island United, Foord and the Bula FC defence held firm to secure a hard-earned point.

Ryan Feutz was centimetres away from claiming a winner in injury time after a powerful run, with Foord powerless and fortunate to watch the curling shot just got outside the post.

Jaylen Rodwell was shown a yellow card for a high boot, which rules him out for the next match against  Hekari FC in Honiara.

The result lifts South Island United above Vanuatu United FC into fourth place in the table, whilst Bula FC remain seventh, level on points with Tahiti United.