A wet Monday evening at Campbelltown Sports Stadium saw the Bulls share the spoils with league leaders Auckland FC.
Welcoming Auckland to Campbelltown for the first time, the Bulls rang in the new year in style, with cowbells echoing around the stadium. Despite rain and lightning threatening a delay, kick-off went ahead as scheduled at 7:00pm, with the Bulls aiming to extend their unbeaten run to six matches.
The opening half saw the Bulls stick to their tried-and-tested approach, absorbing pressure and waiting for the right moment to strike. Luke Vickery and Harrison Sawyer both came close to opening the scoring, but were unable to capitalise on their chances.
At the other end, Filip Kurto was outstanding between the sticks, repeatedly denying Auckland. However, as the Bulls began to grow into the contest, Auckland struck on the counter-attack, with Lachlan Brook finding the opener in the 41st minute.
The Bulls went into the break trailing, but returned with renewed intent in the second half.
Determined to push for all three points, the Bulls injected fresh energy into the match, with Liam Rose, Chris Ikonomidis, Bernardo, Matthew Jurman and Rafael Durán all introduced from the bench.
The breakthrough finally came in the 71st minute, as a well-worked move ended with Tomi Uskok rising highest to power a superb header into the back of the net, bringing the Bulls level.
The Bulls continued to press late, while Callum Talbot produced a series of crucial blocks to deny Auckland a late winner. When the final whistle sounded, the Bulls walked away with a hard-earned point, moving into third on the A-League ladder and extending their unbeaten run to six matches.
