Canberra Croatia swept aside Tigers FC to reach the Federation Cup Quarter Finals, Australia Cup Qualifying Round 5, with a devastating display at the Riverside Stadium, comprehensively winning the much-anticipated cup-tie 4-2.
The Cup Holders were simply too good for their opponents and could have had even more than the four goals they managed with Jakob Cole, on his 29th birthday, deny Croatia on numerous other occasions.
Not even a late flurry, which brough the scant consolation of two goals in the final stages, could sour the evening for Canberra Croatia who looked in ominously good form and sent out a real statement of intent to the rest of the clubs vying to steal the silverware away from the Deakin Stadium trophy cabinet.
Croatia were in front after only three minutes, Michael Piccolo seeing his shot beaten away by Cole, only for Atiya Waraga to react quickest and head home, the goal given as the ball crosse the line before being hacked away by the covering defence.
And it got better for the visiting side in the nineteenth minute as they doubled their lead, Thomas James on the end of another lightning-fast break, taking aim to fire home first-time and send the Croatian supporters into rhapsody.
There was more to come after the interval. Daniel Sparrow playing at centre back, had already gone close with one effort before he steadied himself onto a loose ball, blasting a searing half-volley into the corner past a cluster of defenders and the stranded Cole in goal.
The agony continued for Tigers. With just under a quarter of an hour to play. Keegan Vucetic was left unmarked in the middle only to head straight at Cole. Inexplicably, the ball slipped out of his hands and, as he attempted to claw it away, the luckless custodian could only send it into the net of the post.
Tigers responded late, Sam Whithear upended allowing Amilio Kista to score from the spot, before lively substitute Joshua Milicevic crossed for Whithear to head home himself two minutes into added time. There was still time for another replacement, Archie MacGregor to almost add a third, but by then Croatia were home and hosed.
Over at the Australian Institute of Sport Majura FC prevailed in a gloriously madcap fixture against fellow Community League outfit Burns FC, Majura winning a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out after the two teams battled to a stunning 4-4 draw.
Former goalkeeper Rory Larkin struck first, rifling home after only two minutes, before Burns hit back as Canberra United Assistant Coach Antoni Jagarinec, donning the boots in his winter guise, broke clear to calmly flick home a tidy finish, before putting his team in front from the penalty-spot with a collected effort.
Larkin, who would prove to be the penalty shoot-out hero later in the piece, equalised a minute into the second-half, but the drama was far from over. Banjamin Walther put Majura ahead again, only for James Rosia to put past his only goalkeeper from a wicked Jagarinec cross.
With the match into extra-time Majura thought they might have won it with a sensational goal from Aitamoit Mon, spotting Simon Badman in the Burns goal off his line to chip a wonderful effort over his head and into the net, only for Burns to respond again. Peter McLachlan with a scorching leveller.
And so to spot-kicks, and there has to be a fall-guy. In this case it was the unfortunate Tim Stewart, the midfielder schemer having rattled the bar from a free-kick during the ninety minutes, saw his penalty spectacularly beaten away by Larkin, poacher turned gamekeeper again, to seal Majura’s passage.
Queanbeyan City progressed to the last eight by winning by the odd-goal in five against Canberra Juventus at Greenway Enclosed. City survived the dismissal of Gabriel Ayuel for a second yellow card late on, to secure their place in the Quarter Final draw in an exhilarating match.
Earlier it had appeared serene sailing for City, 2-0 up through goals from Dejan Santrac and Abderrahim Dellahi, only for Juventus, to come back into the match via a penalty converted by last season’s leading sharpshooter, Nathan Duck.
Following Ayuel’s red card, City responded well, and it was their ace predator that effectively sent them through, Niko Abot striking their third with only six minutes left on the clock.
Frazer Burns replied in kind for Juventus three minutes later to set up a nervy finale for the Queanbeyan faithful, but they were able to hang onto claim the win and move onto the latter stages of the competition.
RESULTS
Round 4
Wednesday 10 April
Majura FC 4 (Larkin 2’, 46’, Walther 73’, Mon 104’) Burns FC 4 (Jagarinec 34’, 36’ (p), Rosia 81’ (og), McLachlan 110’) – after extra time, Majura FC win 5-4 on penalties
Tigers FC 2 (Kista 89’ (p), Whithear 90+2’) Canberra Croatia 4 (Waraga 3’, James 19’, Sparrow 56’, Cole 76’ (og))
Canberra Juventus 2 (Duck 73’ (p), Burns 87’) Queanbeyan City 3 (Santrac 16’, Dellahi 40’, Abot 84’)
