The Brisbane Strikers and Brisbane Force fought out a 0-0 draw last night at Perry Park in the Strikers’ last scheduled pre-season game before their Premier League campaign kicks off on Sunday week.

It was a game of few chances as the two teams duelled it out mostly between the two penalty areas and found penetrative football hard to come by. The Strikers had probably the better of the game territorially, and got free on numerous occasions down both flanks only to fail to provide the right kind of service for the front men to apply the finishing touches.

The Strikers made perhaps three good opportunities to break the deadlock. In the first half Russell Woodruffe was denied by a goal-line clearance by a Force defender after his firmly struck, low shot had beaten the opposition goal keeper. Early in the second half, Micheal Butters stretched to get on the end of a beautifully flighted high ball from the left only to see his shot hit the side netting. And with only minutes remaining, Brad Hicks found himself free on the right side of the Force’s penalty area after picking up the scraps from another high ball, but his driven shot was comfortably saved.

Strikers goalkeeper Anthony Hall was forced into only one serious save, that being from a cleverly lobbed shot by a Force forward in the twenty-fifth minute. Hall somehow got up high enough to palm the shot on to the crossbar when it looked as if it had beaten him.

Like most pre-season games, this one was primarily used as a chance to experiment, assess the abilities and form of the players and try out various positional possibilities. This was particularly the case for the Strikers, who were coached tonight for the first time by new gaffer Bobby Hamilton.

Hamilton certainly did not waste the opportunity to get a look at his squad as he made a myriad of substitutions, with some players coming on for two spells.

His players, for their part, responded with whole-hearted effort. Particularly solid performances were handed in by Stuart Drinkeld - who seldom stopped running in midfield and was a bit unfortunate to see a fierce shot go only a metre or so wide of goal in the second half - and Micheal McEvoy and Dimitri Theochari at the back. Greg Di Losa also put in a strong effort, leading the front line with a great deal of energy and commitment for little reward.

The Force, who are a young side, could certainly take heart from a performance in which they competed well with their more highly rated opponents and seldom looked troubled in front of goal.