The Football Kingz and Sydney United fought out a scoreless draw in their opening National Soccer League fixture for 2002-3 at Ericsson Stadium on September 22, a match which had a distinct pre-season look about it.      Both teams were ultimately happy with the point they earned from an even contest, this being the first-ever collect by the Kingz from their first game of the season in four attempts.      The first half-hour of play was decidedly sterile, with a half-chance for the Kingz best-performed player, Harry Ngata, matched by a slick sixteenth minute Sydney raid in which the impressive Brendan Santalab and Gabriel Mendez worked a one-two on the edge of the penalty area, the former's subsequent drive being blocked by Jonathan Perry.      Only a fine save at the feet of Commins Menapi by Michael Utting prevented United from opening the scoring on the half hour, after the Solomon Islands international had latched onto Santalab's flick-on and drifted between the challenges of Perry and debutant Kingz defender Jonathan Taylor.      The Chatham Cup winner with Napier City Rovers this season then made a timely tackle to thwart Louis Brain two minutes later, as the former Junior Roo pounced on an under-hit back-pass by Jeff Campbell in a first half in which the Kingz enjoyed the greater share of possession, but Sydney created the better chances.      Utting was to save twice more from Santalab before the interval - both shots were struck from outside the penalty area, while the Kingz last chance of the half came seven minutes before Derek Rugg's half-time whistle. Ngata and Andy Vlahos engineered it between them near the edge of United's penalty area, but the former's cross for the latter was unceremoniously hoofed to safety by Damon Collina.      The second spell was sparked into life in the 54th minute by a bit of wizardry from another of the Kingz trio of first starters, Mark Beldham. He weaved past a couple of opponents in the penalty area before teeing up Vlahos, who was denied by the presence of Michael Santalab.      Gathering the rebound, Vlahos turned and set up the incoming Campbell, who unleashed an exocet from fifteen yards which crashed against the crossbar, United's string-bean goalkeeper, Vanja Ivesa, flailing at the ball in vain.      Two minutes later, Brendan Santalab became the second of four Sydney United players booked, the incident taking place right in front of the dug-outs. Visiting coach, Branko Culina, reacted in a manner which did not impress referee Rugg, who promptly ordered United's mentor to the stands - who would have thought the first sending-off of the 2002-3 NSL season would be a coach?

The visitors were unperturbed by the turn of events, and nearly broke the deadlock just shy of the hour mark when Mendez whipped in a free-kick which curled away from the flapping figure of Utting and careered narrowly past his right-hand post from twenty-five yards. Back came the Kingz, Beldham teaming up with the third debutant, Chilean international Patricio Almendra. His cross picked out Campbell, whose goal-bound drive was cleared to safety by Paul Bilokapic. Ngata then sent a header flashing across the face of goal from a Campbell cross, before Vlahos, after linking with Almendra, let fly with a curling twenty-yarder which fizzed inches past the left-hand angle of the diving Ivesa's goal. Twenty minutes from time, a patient Kingz build-up culminated in Ngata volleying over a Campbell cross, while the source of this opportunity then saw his driven low free-kick smothered by the giant figure of Vlesa seven minutes before the finish, after Ngata had been felled just outside the penalty area. Kingz captain Chris Jackson then let fly from twenty-five yards in vain, as United's massed ranks held out the home team to secure a point from a scoreless draw, which 2999 fans witnessed. Speaking afterwards, United coach Branko Culina was well pleased with the outcome. "We did very well in the first half, and had three or four chances we should have put away. We've made an effort to be a lot more solid defensively, and in today's circumstances, given we were missing four regulars, it's a point well received". Kingz coach Ken Dugdale, for whom this was his first NSL game, was pleased with the club's first point of the season coming in its first game. "It was a good competitive, even contest, one in which I thought Harry Ngata played particularly well, while Hiroshi Miyazawa did well at the other end of the park". Of the Kingz two injury concerns going into this match, Mark Burton is likely to be out for up to six weeks with a foot ligament injury, while a groin strain will keep Raf de Gregorio on the sideline for anything up to three weeks. Kingz:          Utting; Perry, Miyazawa, Taylor; Beldham (Urlovic, 62), Jackson, Atkinson, Campbell; Almendra, Ngata, Vlahos Sydney:     Ivesa; M. Santalab, Balearic (booked, 88), Cacic, Collina (booked, 82), Pavic; Arrarte (Savocca, 73), Mendez (booked, 27), Brain (Jedinak, 70); B. Santalab (booked, 56), Menapi (Doumanis, 85) Referee:     Derek Rugg