The New Zealand Knights scored their first point in the Hyundai A-League since the third round of the competition on December 1, as they hung on to frustrate a Queensland Roar side which threw everything but the kitchen sink at their opponents at Suncorp Stadium in their efforts to avoid being held to a 1-1 draw. Held to it they were, however, a result which significantly dents Queensland's play-off prospects, given six rounds remain for teams to secure a spot in the top four placings. The home team started this riveting spectacle like the proverbial house on fire, with Matt McKay denied in the act of pulling the trigger just one hundred seconds into the match by a superbly timed Jeremy Brockie tackle near the penalty spot. Three minutes later, Royce Brownlie failed to capitalise on some awful Knights defending, blazing wide with just Danny Milosevic to beat. The visitors' goalkeeper looked on in the eleventh minute, as his team-mates failed to clear a corner. Hyuk-Su Seo's subsequent cross picked out Tyler Simpson, who evaded a challenge before seeing his effort ricochet to safety off a defender. Whistle-happy referee James Lewis, who ignored as many fouls as he called for throughout proceedings, made arguably his worst faux pas of the evening in the thirteenth minute, when denying Queensland a clear-cut penalty. Frank Van Eijs clearly impeded Jonathan Richter inside the area, but the official, upon consulting with his assistant, awarded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area. For a team which has had little luck so far this season, it was a welcome break for the Knights, who blocked Warren Moon's subsequent piledriver to safety. Another free-kick, five minutes later, gave the visitors even greater cause for concern, as Seo unleashed a screamer which Milosevic couldn't hang onto. The 'keeper recovered to thwart Richter as he homed in on the rebound. The visitors savoured their first chance of note in the twentieth minute, Simon Yeo dispossessing the at times ponderous Remo Buess and surging into the penalty area. With Sean Devine in support, the Knights' leading goalscorer went for glory, but found it had taken on the form of Tom Willis, who blocked the striker's shot, Buess recovering to head the rebound to safety and prevent Devine from capitalising on it. The respite was temporary, for within seconds, Brockie was racing into Queensland's penalty area, and from the by-line, he fired in a low cross which Willis smothered, with both Yeo and Devine lurking in anticipation of a pull-back from their dreadlocked team-mate. After a superb John Tambouras tackle had denied Royce Brownlie, following another impressive surging run by Massimo Murdocca, the Roar came desperately close to opening the scoring in the 23rd minute. Moon played the ball wide to Brownlie, whose delightful back-heel put Alex Brosque in behind the defence. The inviting cross which followed careered across the bows of the incoming Richter. Back came the Knights in what was a very open affair, with Brockie releasing Devine down the right. The striker hit a first-time volleyed cross towards the edge of the penalty area in line with the far post, where Yeo was lurking. He met the ball on the volley, and it flew narrowly past Willis' right-hand post in the 27th minute. Two minutes later, Queensland were in front, and on the balance of play, deservedly so. It was a lovely goal, too. Seo and McKay teamed up to release Brosque on the left, the wide man's turn into space giving him an extra five yards. He exploited it to the fullest before clipping a cross in towards the near post for Brownlie, who, despite the presence of Tambouras on his shoulder, expertly guided a glancing header across the diving Milosevic and into the far corner of the net - 1-0 Queensland. The Knights sought a swift riposte, with Devine cleverly evading a couple of challenges before firing in a low cross intended for Yeo. Willis saved at the striker's feet, then launched a counter-attack which culminated in Milosevic getting right behind a Moon free-kick. After Van Eijs had thwarted Richter by fair means in the 35th minute, the unmarked Stuart McLaren failed to take full advantage of a great opportunity to double the score when picked out by Moon's corner, his header flashing over the crossbar. Three minutes before half-time, Queensland were beginning to wonder what they had to do to score again, as another Moon corner picked out McLaren at the near post. Ben Collett was perfectly placed to block his header on the line. The danger wasn't over for the visitors, however, with Tambouras blocking Brownlie's drive at close range seconds later.

With a minute to go to half-time, the home team were dealt a body-blow by the Knights, who snatched an equaliser in style. A foul on the ever-industrious Zenon Caravella near the touchline saw Collett clip a free-kick in towards the near post. Yeo darted into the space and, with the most deft of back headers, guided the sphere over all-comers and beyond the stranded Willis into the far corner of the net. His team-mates were understandably delighted, but they knew they would have their work cut out for them in the second spell, as Queensland went for the win they desperately needed. Before they had a chance to fire a shot in anger following the resumption of hostilities, the Knights came close to taking the lead. Only McKay's timely clearance on the far post denied Brockie, after some fine work by Noah Hickey on the left, three minutes into the second spell. Cue a brief flurry from the Roar, with Milosevic's gloves being stung by Seo, before McLaren directed a header into the sidenetting, following a cross from substitute Spase Dilevski. After Brosque sent a shot careering over the crossbar on the hour mark, Queensland began to up the tempo, and with twenty minutes to go, they laid siege to the Knights goal. Seo led the charge, with the surging figure of McLaren racing up in support. He played the ball into Brownlie, who turned and hit a beauty towards the roof of the net from eighteen yards. At full stretch, Milosevic tipped the effort onto the crossbar and recovered first to grab the rebound - you somehow sensed, with this occurrence, that Lady Luck was on the Knights' team in this encounter. The Knights goalkeeper then denied efforts from Osvaldo Carro and McKay, either side of a jinking run and cross from Brockie just clearing the head of Devine, in the 73rd minute. Still the home team pressed, spurred on by 8607 fans who, like their orange-clad heroes, were getting increasingly frustrated by the continued stubborn resistance of a Knights rearguard in which Tambouras was immense, at least until succumbing to an ankle injury. With fifteen minutes to go, Queensland were certain they were in for all money, as Brosque and substitute Jordan Simpson - Tyler's twin brother - carved their way into the penalty area on the left. The replacement clipped a measured cross towards Carro, only for Tambouras to get a vital touch and divert it away from the replacement midfielder. Still they pounded away, but a second goal proved elusive for the home side, Jeremy Christie heading Carro's cross to safety an example of the at times desperate defending which the Knights were having to do to preserve the point they were now clinging to. That one point could have been three, as the visitors, four minutes from time, stung Queensland on the counter-attack. Substitute Naoki Imaya sent Brockie galloping down the right once more, and from the by-line he pulled the ball back for Kris Bright to take over proceedings. Tyler Simpson was on hand to avert the danger, and spark incessant attacking from Queensland right through to the final whistle. The visitors scrambled clear after Milosevic had been caught in possession by Brosque, with the goalkeeper making amends two minutes into stoppage time when grabbing a header from Jordan Simpson. By this time, Queensland had hit the post once more, Seo rattling the woodwork with a twenty-five yard free-kick as the game moved into stoppage time. Deep in this, McLaren and Brosque combined to present a heading chance for Jordan Simpson, who rattled the crossbar with his header, but climbed all over Bazeley in order to reach the ball - a measure of how keen the home team were to secure all three points. It wasn't to be, however, and at the final whistle, the 1-1 draw brought an end to the Knights' eleven-match losing streak. On the balance of play, they should have been beaten out of sight by Queensland, but the home team's season-long inability to convert their chances into goals was once again their undoing, and the visitors will be the happier of the two teams as both head into the Christmas break. Queensland:     Willis; T. Simpson, McLaren, Buess; Murdocca, Moon (Dilevski, 51), McKay, Seo; Richter (Carro, 61), Brownlie (J. Simpson, 73), Brosque NZ Knights:     Milosevic; Tambouras (Imaya, 78), Bazeley, Van Eijs (Tinkler, 46); Brockie (booked, 35), Collett, Christie (booked, 71), Caravella, Hickey; Yeo, Devine (Bright, 84) Referee:     James Lewis