South Melbourne and Perth Glory put on a high-energy game at Bob Jane Stadium on Monday evening, but neither was able to craft a goal despite the many opportunities which arose. Glory had goalkeeper Jason Petkovic to thank for keeping waves of South attacks fruitless during the first period, but Glory asserted itself more in the second.
"I'm pleased to come away with a draw," said Glory coach Mitch D'Avray after the game. "Our goalkeeper kept us in the game in the first-half. (Petkovic) made probably four or five very good saves - that's why I rate him the best in the country."
"At half-time I said (to the team) that if we get a bonus out of the game today we should give it to (Petkovic)," he said.
South Melbourne coach Stuart Munro assessed things similarly. "My team proved that where they are in the league is no fluke. We deserve to be where we are," he said. "The players wanted to get the three points today, are we're disappointed we didn't get them."
South Melbourne crafted the game's first opening just eight minutes in. Simon Storey made a storming run down the left on a quick break with Vaughan Coveny and Vince Lia in support, facing a frantically back-pedalling Glory defence. Storey's pace took him clear and into the penalty-area. His shot was blocked by Petkovic but it ran kindly for Vince Lia's follow-up shot, also on target, but it too was blocked and a corner the only damage inflicted.
Two chances inside a minute followed around the quarter-hour mark. Coveny crossed from the right, but over-hit it to where it fell to Boutsianis wide right. With a deft touch, Boutsianis created enough space to feed Lia. Petkovic was compelled to come to Glory's rescue again with a fine save.
Petkovic had scarcely enough time to regain his positioning when he was in action again. Coveny had gained ground up the left and crossed to Michael Curcija in a promising central position. Jamie Harnwell did just enough by jumping in front of Curcija without connecting with the ball to put Curcija off converting a fine chance.
Even centre-back Ante Kovacevic felt encouraged enough to venture forward creating a move mid-way through the half, and finding himself crossing from a right-wing position later in the same passage of play.
Boutsianis was scarcely out of involvement in these opening moments. Shortly after Kovacevic's adventure, he was quickest onto a break, running direct on goal from inside his own half to shoot from the edge of the 18-yard-area with Coveny in support. Petkovic, once again, was compelled to make a fine save to divert the ball away for a corner.
This was clearly not going to be a sterile affair, and the half-hour had not yet been reached.
"Sometimes there's a big factor of luck (in scoring goals)," said Munro, commenting on the number of chances created, but not converted, by South. "Each time the strikers hit the target, the goalkeeper brought off very good saves."
"We knew that South Melbourne would come at us," said D'Avray. "I thought South were very good in the first half. They knew they had to win it."
Glory's first opportunity of note arose when Mehmet Durakovic fouled Brad Hassell on the edge of South's penalty-area, conceding a free-kick. Bobby Despotovski took it, but bent the ball marginally high.
Glory's chances were fewer, and usually from distance.
Tom Pondeljak launched a right-foot shot from 25 metres shortly after, bringing out a diving deflection save from South keeper Michael Theoklitos, still deputising for Eugene Galekovic absent with the Olyroo squad.
Galekovic was next drawn into action making a regulation save from the experienced Matt Bingley as the first-half drew to a close. Bingley's shot from long-range was true, if not overly-troubling. Pondeljak too had an attempt from well outside the penalty-area as the South defence closed down other options.
But South had still not conceded the chance of scoring before the break - firstly Lia outsped Jamie Coyne down the left, sending in a low cross which Bingley scrambled over the line for a corner as Petkovic made a covering dive.
Then - as the first-half whistle was about to sound, Coveny took advantange of some fine work by Lia - this time down the right. Lia's cross to Coveny at the far post looked to have hit the arm of Shaun Murphy as he and Coveny jostled for possession. Coveny was first to the follow-up, turning and shooting from an acute angle only to see Petkovic make an effective block with his legs.
Neither side needed warm-up time before getting straight back into the contest from the re-start. With most fans still discussing the abundance of action of the first-half, Theoklitos needed to be at his best to deflect a goal-bound header from Hassell over the bar, after Pondeljak had put over a pin-point cross from the right.
Just minutes later, Harnwell came to Glory's defensive aid when he managed to nick a header from just in front of Curcija. Durakovic had made a perfect diagonal pass to Coveny on the left. Coveny's cross was on the money until Harnwell's timely intervention.
And before the hour was up, yet another chance fell South's way - this time from a Boutsianis free-kick wide on the right. Boutsianis hit it low towards the near-post where Kovacevic got a scrambled touch, sending it mere centimetres wide of the post.
Damian Mori's participation was anticipated, despite him being named on the bench. D'Avray made the change with most of the last half-hour still to play, and ample time for the deadly Glory striker to make an impact against a tiring South defence.
But it was a combination between Despotovski, showing some trickery at the edge of the area when facing Durakovic, to feed Pondeljak that almost undid South. Pondeljak had more time than he might have expected, and ballooned the ball over the bar.
Both sides each had a chance to snatch it at the last. Pondeljak for Glory running onto a through ball from Hassell found himself pressed wide by Storey conceding the corner. Murphy outjumped Theoklitos as the corner was swung in, but his header went narrowly wide.
Then it was South's turn with two of its own: Coveny's header was touched over the bar by Petkovic from Tunbridge's cross. Then in added time, Tunbridge again had a sharp opportunity on the turn, but was wide.
There will be plenty of scoreless draws that are instantly forgotten. This one will remain in the memory of the 12,000 who attended, and sits as a appetite-builder for what will surely be a Finals encounter between these two sides.