Souths v United/TITLE> </HEADER> <BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000"> <CENTER><H1>Round 3 report by Alan Clark South Melbourne v Sydney United</H1></CENTER> <HR SIZE=3> South Melbourne and Sydney United played an entertaining one-one draw at Bob Jane Stadium last Sunday evening. Kiwi international Vaughan Coveny opened the scoring for South just after the mid-point of the first half, only to see Sydney United's defensive trio of Paul Bilokapic, Damon Collina, and Bozidar Cacic combine at the other end of the ground to bundle home from a free-kick within ten minutes. "We were after three points today," said home-debut coach Danny Wright after the game. "I'm disappointed not to get that. It's a hollow point for me." "It was a combination of South being good and us being terrible (in the first half)", said Sydney United coach Branko Culina. "At half-time we changed completely and to the players' credit we gave South a run in the second half." It was a game which deserved to be adorned with more goals, such was the endeavour of both sides in a fast-moving and open contest, but the scoring had ended before the break. Vince Lia had been employed in a wide forward role by Wright and it proved to be a successful assignment. Lia wriggled clear of Cacic a number of times during the first period, and it was as a consequence of one such movement South scored. Lia had been first to his feet as both he and Cacic slid in for a ball played to the wing, and raced forward to the bye-line. Coveny had sped in support about ten metres out at the near post, and Lia's whipped cross was perfectly flighted for Coveny's header to whistle past giant goalkeeper Vanja Ivesa. But the lead was short-lived, and Sydney United grabbed an equaliser in circumstances that will have the South brains-trust examining the tape in the game's post-mortem. Steve Iosifidis had conceded a free-kick wide on the right, bringing down Brendan Santalab at bye-line, and referee Perry Mur awarded a free-kick near the corner-flag. The free was floated over the far-post where Collina rose to head downwards. South goalkeeper Dean Anastasiadis blocked the attempt which then fell to Bilokapic and Cacic. Cacic was first to react and bundled the ball over the line from close-range. The three goals South has conceded this campaign have been from set-pieces in similar positions to this, and clearly frustrates Wright. "I'm pulling my hair out about the defensive lapses that we have (from) set-pieces," he said. "It took the stuffing out of us there for a little while. We had the momentum, and (the equaliser) came at the wrong time of the game." But Wright will be examining the tape so carry home the message that better outcomes must be achieved. "I'll have a look at it again, and we'll start to point fingers. (Such) a goal is a series of mistakes." Sydney United changed the formation and the personnel at the break, bringing on Mark Rudan and Mile Jedinak in an attempt to cut down the space available to South. The restructure worked, although it left Sydney United's replacement stocks bare and unable to cope with second-half injuries to Gabriel Mendez and Cacic. United was relying on nine fit players at the end, but even so was good enough to snuff out the chances that fell South's way in the closing stages of the game, fashioning a few of its own that stretched the pressing South defence as it too searched out the winning goal. South's new striker pairing of Coveny and Michael Baird was to prove a challenge for Sydney United throughout, with Baird especially showing his confidence when facing defenders. During the first half, this pair conjured a number of attempts. As the combination gets a chance to gell in the coming weeks, these two will prove a handful for the opposition. Baird looks to have a number of tricks in his repertoire which he can draw upon to get by his man. Wright was able to see the potential of his side despite the disappointment of the result. "The big positives that came out for us today were Michael Bair and Vince Lia. (Lia) was a relevation on the wing, and (Baird) looked the goods and worked well with Vaughan (Coveny)." <HR SIZE=3> </BODY>