Canberra Croatia’s Australia Cup dreams were shattered in the Round of 32 as Mount Druitt Town Rangers, from Sydney’s National Premier League competition, ultimately proved too strong for their visitors, a brace of goals in the final fourteen minutes finally seeing the hosts home by 3-1.
There had been hope for the Capital Football entrants, encapsulated by a quite magnificent equalising goal just past the hour mark as Stephen Domenici arced a superb, dipping, half-volley that swerved over a cluster of defenders and left the Rangers goalkeeper stranded as it nestled into the net.
Ironically, the goal was a by-product of a decision that Croatia felt should have been a stonewall penalty, Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu bundled to the ground inside the area, one of a sequence of decisions that baffled the away team throughout the course of the ninety minutes.
Already depleted in numbers due to the absence of the injured Daniel Barac, the suspended Matt Grbesa, and the cup-tied duo of Tony Spaseski and Mchael Piccolo, plus a trio of players overseas, it was left to the Croatia young guns to provide added spark and impetus with substitutes Noah Vanderpol and Nicholas Pratezina shining in late cameos.
Indeed, the pair almost combined to pull one back late on, Pratezina showing commitment and desire to burst through a pair of Rangers challengers, cutting the ball back to Vanderpol whose effort was well- blocked.
Ahmed-Shaibu tested the reflexes of the home stopper with a curling effort in the second-half, and also blazed over a presentable opportunity inside the final five minutes as Croatia sought a route back into the match which, by this stage of the fixture, they trailed by two clear goals.
There had been discussions over whether the home team’s opener was a foul on defender Marco Gayer, a view that the Croatia bench certainly agreed with, but take nothing away from the quality of the hit from Mount Druitt midfielder Solomon-John Monohan-Vaiika who thwacked a thunderous drive beyond Sam Brown in the Croatia goal that was still rising as it shook the foundations at the back of the net.
Croatia’s response was excellent with the midfield trio of Ryan Keir, Franc Greco and Daniel Colbertaldo dictating play, culminating in the leveller as Daniel Sparrow characteristically won a thumping challenge and played in substitute Vanderpol. His cross found its way to Domenici, via Ahmed-Shaibu, and the mercurial talent did the rest in some style.
Mount Druitt had their own dangerman though in the shape of the returning Anthony Frangie and he made the difference late on. A well-worked move culminated in Frangie heading home at the far post to restore the lead and, when he plucked the ball out of the night sky to rifle a low effort that clipped off a defending foot and into the bottom corner, the die was cast.
AUSTRALIA CUP ROUND OF 32
4 August 2023
Mount Druitt Town Rangers 3 (Monohan-Vaiika 36’, Frangie 76’, 81’) Canberra Croatia 1 (Stephen Domenici 59’)
TEAM: 1. Sam BROWN, 2. Marco GAYER (5. Parris BANGWENI 85’), 3. Daniel COLBERTALDO, 6. Ryan KEIR, 10. Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU, 14. Daniel SUBASIC, 16. Atiya WARAGA (9. Noah VANDERPOL 54’), 17. Jordan LAMB, 18. Franc GRECO (13. Nicholas PRATEZINA 85’), 21. Stephen DOMENICI, 24. Daniel SPARROW
Substitutes not used: 12. Jack LEVERETT, 23. Jason MATESA, 25. Timothy SANTOS
YELLOW CARDS: 3. Daniel COLBERTALDO, 24. Daniel SPARROW
Venue: Popondetta Park, Mount Druitt, Sydney