Four teams qualify for Westfield FFA Cup
Four teams have officially qualified for the inaugural Westfield FFA Cup after victories in this week’s Waratah Cup Quarter Final matches.
Sydney Olympic 4 Sydney United 58 FC 2
Grant Lee and Mark Rudan both named strong sides for this one, with the added carrot of FFA Cup qualification guaranteed to the winner.
The first genuine chance was Olympic’s and it brought with it the first goal.
A break down the right by Brayden Sorge opened up the Reds defence and when he cut the ball back into the area, Go Shirai slotted the ball past the helpless Diego Barcena.
Olympic then made it 2-0.
Evan Kostopoulos burst free down the Olympic right, before cutting back to Harris Gaitatzis, who made no mistake with a superb finish into the top corner.
United 58 FC needed something extraordinary to haul them back into the match and it came courtesy of young striker, Alec Urosevski who netted a double, his second from the spot.
The action resumed very quickly in the second when Michael Gaitatzis put Olympic ahead again in the 53′ minute.
Dimitri Hatzimouratis had been on the field for all of two minutes, but that was all he needed to put the game away with a fantastic left footed arrow in the top corner to finish the game in the Blues favour 4-2.
Olympic coach Grant Lee said post-match: "I’m very happy. All four goals were quality, although we conceded two poor ones.
"The goals we conceded were naive, but we created five or six chances.
"You could see by the quality of team selections that we take this (the FFA Cup) seriously. We want to be part of something big like the FFA Cup."
Parramatta FC 2 South Coast Wolves 5 (2-2 after normal time)
The South Coast Wolves booked a spot in the Westfield FFA Cup with a tense 5-2 win at Melita Stadium against Parramatta FC after the game ended 2-2 in normal time.
The Wolves had Jordan Murray to thank as he scored early on before the home side replied via Joshua Symons. An own goal was to be the Wolves’ savior as they took a 2-1 lead only before Daniel Rezo netted a 90th minute equaliser sending the game into extra time.
It was one-way traffic from there however as a second goal from Murray and a double by Ricky Zucco, one being a tremendous bicycle kick all but sealed a spot in the FFA Cup for the former NSL Champions.
Manly United 1 Northern Tigers 1 (Manly won 5-3 on penalties)
Cromer Park also played host to a tense match as Manly United took the plaudits in a 5-3 win over the Northern Tigers on penalties after the match ended 1-1.
The home side took the lead through Jimmy Oates before the visitors replied early in the second half via Aram Tayebi.
It was the left to the dreaded penalty shoot-out as Manly keeper Tonu Liiband proved to be the hero of the evening pulling of a great stop before club captain Graeme Forbes all but sealed a precious FFA Cup spot.
Hakoah Sydney City East 1 Blacktown City FC 2
Thursday evening saw Blacktown City FC come from behind to defeat a gallant Mens State League 1 outfit Hakoah Sydney City East 2-1 at Hensley Athletic Field.
Neil Jablonski put the home side in front with a well taken goal in the 16th minute but a minute later, IGA NPL NSW Mens 1 sharpshooter Travis Major levelled the match.
Major was to be the hero as his 73rd minute goal proved to be the difference as the visitors completed a monumental victory sending the club to the FFA Cup and the semi-final stages of the Waratah Cup.
FFA Cup Qualification Play Off Round 1
Wednesday 4th June
Sydney United 58 v Parramatta FC
Hakoah Sydney City FC v Northern Tigers
*Winners qualify to FFA Cup – losing teams to play off for final FFA Cup spot.
