Wagga City Wanderers booked their passage into Round 4 of the Australia Cup Qualifying tournament, and a home tie with National Premier League Yoogali SC, following a 2-1 success over Brindabella Blues at Melrose Synthetic.
In a match that featured eleven cards, both teams were reduced to ten men in the closing stages as Blues goalscorer, Jamie Ward, and Wanderers defender Jackson Hunter, both saw red after a fracas developed immediately after Ward had reduced the deficit from close range.
The Brindabella substitute had steered home an Isaac Weekly cross with six minutes remaining to breathe life into the tie that had been sailing inexorably in favour of the visiting team who had taken control of proceedings in an excellent cup-tie.
Wanderers hit the front after twenty-six minutes when their lively front pairing of Jacob Ochieng and Morris Kadzola combined for a sweetly taken goal. Ochieng sent over an accurate cross from the left flank for Kadzola, sneaking in front of his marker, volleyed into the net.
Chances were rare in the opening half, but the game sprang into life after the break as Wanderers went back in front. Natheer Al-Hassan rather scuffed his shot at goal three minutes into the second-half, but the ball rebounded kindly for Ochieng who squeezed it home from an acute angle.
Shortly afterwards it was almost three, Blues goalkeeper Rhys Flissinger saving superbly from a rising drive struck at goal by Wanderers winger Zac Steele, the custodian palming over the bar in magnificent style.
There was drama at the death though as the Blues felt they had forced extra-time with an equalising goal in the 96th minute. A shot came back off the base of the post and ricocheted off the arm of midfielder Deng Aleer Deng, falling kindly for substitute Cuneyt Caglar to scramble it home.
After consultation with his Assistant, Referee Nathan Shakespear disallowed the goal for handball, much to the disappointment of the locals, but undoubtedly the correct call under the interpretation of the handball law.
It was a tough pill for Brindabella to swallow, but few could argue that the Wanderers, with their outstanding midfield duo of Nashwan Kheder and Max Prest in the ascendancy throughout, deserved to progress.
AUSTRALIA CUP QUALIFYING
Round 3
Saturday 16 March
Brindabella Blues 1 (Ward 84’) Wagga City Wanderers 2 (Kadzola 26’, Ochieng 48’)