The Lion City Sailors continued their unbeaten run in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two as they came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Indonesia Liga 1 champions Persib Bandung at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium on Thursday (24 October) night.

Tyronne del Pino opened the scoring for Persib in the 43rd minute, but just four minutes into the second half, Bailey Wright equalised for the Sailors with a brilliant header.

Moments later, Persib’s night took a turn for the worse as they were reduced to 10 men when Dimas Drajad was sent off for headbutting Bailey.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Persib were able to hold on for their first point of the ACL Two campaign. And Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković admitted it was a missed opportunity for his side to secure another win in the competition.

“We can be a little disappointed because the opponent played with a man less for a long time, and we couldn’t break down their defence,” Ranko said in the post-match press conference. “We had most of the possession, but I feel we could have done a little more.”

The Sailors – who defeated Zhejiang Professional 2-0 in their opening ACL Two match last month – entered the game on the back of a successful run in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), where they extended their lead at the top of the table to six points.

Persib, on the other hand, were still searching for their first point in ACL Two after losses to Port FC and Zhejiang. However, they are unbeaten in the Indonesian Liga 1 this season, and were buoyed by a 2-0 victory over league leaders Persebaya Surabaya over the weekend.

Despite the raucous home support, it was the visiting Sailors who started brightly, with Maxime Lestienne forcing Kevin Ray Mendoza into a save from a tight angle just a minute into the match.

Neither side managed to create any clear-cut chances in the opening quarter, with Persib’s first notable effort coming in the 27th minute with captain Marc Klok attempting to catch Izwan Mahbud off guard with a corner. The Sailors’ goalkeeper, however, remained alert and tipped the ball over the bar.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 43rd minute when Indonesian international Drajad escaped his marker and played a perfectly weighted through ball to Del Pino, who coolly chipped the ball over the onrushing Izwan.

Feeling that his side had largely controlled the first half, Ranko was understandably frustrated to go into the break a goal down.

“I think we controlled the match quite well in the first half. We didn’t allow any shots on goal and created a few promising breaks. I wouldn’t call them clear chances, but there were some opportunities. Then we conceded at the worst possible moment, which can’t happen — especially with the experienced team we have.”

But the Sailors tactician did not have to wait long for his charges to respond in the second half.

Following a short corner routine, Maxime delivered a superb cross, and Bailey ghosted in at the back post with a header in the 49th minute to level the scores and silence the 2,111 Bobotoh fans in attendance.

It was the Australian centre-back’s seventh goal for the Sailors since his arrival from England in July last year, and he was pleased with his contribution.

“First of all, a lot of respect for the opposition — they made it tough for us. As a group, as a team, as a club, we’re getting stronger with each passing day, and I think today is another example of that,” said Bailey, who has represented Australia in the 2014 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.

“We’re a good side, we’re a tough team to beat, and we showed that today. We’ll just keep growing, and we’ll see where that takes us.”

Bailey was in the thick of the action again just two minutes later, when Persib’s Drajad lost his cool and headbutt the Sailors defender, leaving Iranian referee Bijan Heidari no choice but to show him a straight red card.

In the 63rd minute, the Sailors almost broke through the Persib defence with Rui Pires’ pass finding Song Ui-young, but the Incheon native misdirected his shot from a promising position.

Just a minute later, Persib had a chance of their own as Ciro Alves was denied at the near post by Izwan, who bravely stood his ground and took a knock to the face in the process.

Ranko then made several changes, introducing Shawal Anuar, Sergio Carmona Pérez, and Abdul Rasaq Akeem, but the game eventually fizzled out into a draw.

There was, however, one last moment of drama in the final minute, with Bart Ramselaar being sent off, as both teams ended the game with 10 men.

In the other Group F match, Port overcame Zhejiang 1-0, thanks to a second-half goal from Felipe Amorim.

The Thai side now tops the group with six points, while the Sailors sit second with four points. The two sides will face off next Wednesday (October 30) in their rescheduled ACL Two clash in Pathum Thani.

As the Sailors prepare for their trip to Thailand, Bailey has urged his teammates to focus on the positives ahead of what promises to be another crucial away match in the continental competition.

“Away fixtures in this tournament are always challenging,” he said. “We aimed for a win and felt we could have taken all three points, but a draw is the next best outcome.

“It’s a draw on the road, along with a solid performance, and those are the positives we’ll carry forward.”