Melbourne Victory have slogged their way to a 0-0 Asian Champions League draw with Suwon Bluewings.
The match was as forgettable as the scoreline suggests, with little of note created by either side in a clash that at least maintained the Victory's unbeaten record in this Asian campaign.
Kosta Barbarouses, the Victory's most-enthusiastic participant, had the best chance to win it when he fired a close-range volley straight at goalkeeper Shin Se-gye with five minutes remaining.
While the result at least turns the corner from Victory's 5-0 A-League demolition at the hands of Brisbane last Saturday, the performance was as languid a home display as there had been under coach Kevin Muscat.
With six changes from the side that fell to the league leaders, there was little energy and no rhythm from the Victory on display.
Archie Thompson, one of just four outfield players to resume, had a particularly poor night.
The veteran lost control of the ball often and was flagged for offside several times, denied a second-half headed goal by the linesman's flag.
But the poor contest could only be partially attributed to the Victory.
Muscat warned the Bluewings would come with a defensive mindset, and they didn't disappoint.
The paucity of on-field quality extended to Singaporean referee Muhammad Taqi, who astonished with his decision-making and had little control over the match at times.
A patchy and slippery surface - subjected to two rugby league and one rugby match in the past 10 days - also helped to destroy the spectacle.
Muscat said he could see the merit in the Victory's performance, particularly the clean sheet.
"I thought the application tonight was outstanding," he said.
"It was a typical away performance from them (Suwon). They're a well-disciplined, extremely fit team.
"When you combine those two ingredients, they're extremely hard to break down."
Nick Ansell's fitness concerned Muscat after the centre-back reported quad tightness having been substituted.
"We'll have to assess that," he said.
"We'll see how he wakes up in the morning but the fact that he was sore and had to come off possibly doesn't hold him in good stead for the weekend."
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