St George Saints and APIA Leichhardt Tigers played out a goalless draw at Barton Park Field 1 on Saturday evening. The match ended 0-0 in the New South Wales NPL Regular Season, stage 27. Neither side could break through in what turned into a tense affair.
The game stayed cagey for most of ninety minutes. APIA Leichhardt Tigers controlled possession but could not find the net despite their position at the top of the table. St George Saints defended deep and stayed compact, which kept the scoreline level.
And here's the thing — the match only really opened up at the death. A red card arrived in the 90+9th minute, but by then nothing had changed on the scoreboard. The dismissal came too late to alter the outcome, leaving both sides to share the points.
To be fair, the result makes sense given the standings. APIA Leichhardt Tigers sit first with 68 points from 30 games, while St George Saints languish in fifteenth place with just 27 points. The gap between them tells its own story.
St George Saints' recent form has been mixed. They lost 2-3 to SD Raiders last weekend and had a 0-0 draw with Sydney II before that. Meanwhile, APIA Leichhardt Tigers have been in fine form, winning their last three matches including a 3-1 victory over Sydney Olympic.
The draw keeps APIA Leichhardt Tigers at the summit, though they will want more from a game they dominated. St George Saints remain rooted to the bottom half and need results to turn around their campaign. That late red card adds another chapter to an already difficult season for the home side.