Giuseppe Tine helped himself to a second-half hat-trick as Monaro Panthers eased into the Hahn Australia Cup Qualifying Round 5 with a 7-0 thrashing of West Canberra Wanderers at Melrose Synthetic.
It was the second season in succession that the Panthers had knocked Wanderers out of the cup with a seven-goal salvo but, whilst that elimination in 2024 was fostered by a five-goal nineteen-minute blitzkrieg, on this occasion it was administered by death by a thousand cuts across ninety minutes of dominance.
From the moment that Daniel Barac rose unchecked inside the box to head home a pinpoint Jack Ellwood cross in the ninth minute, the Panthers progression into the local Quarter Finals qualification competition appeared assured.
They were made to work hard for their second though, young Mitchell Cotter in the home goal showing alertness, and awareness, beyond his formative years to thwart the Panthers attack but even he was powerless to prevent the second, Barac’s strong run and cross steered into his own goal by the luckless Lachlan Terry.
Terry was sent off in the second-half, the victim as Christian Kreskas, on as a substitute, burst past him clear on goal, Terry colliding with the forward hauling him down and leaving the officials no choice but to brandish the ultimate sanction.
By then Panthers had already added two more to the scoreboard. Ryan Straub, also introduced at half-time, drilling home from the top of the area six minutes after the resumption, before Tine got his first of the night with a beautifully swept home first-time shot from just outside the area.
Tine thundered home his second seven minutes later, reacting quickest as Michael Piccolo rammed a shot against the crossbar, before Luca Macor crunched home from long-range for the sixth. Al that was left was for Tine to complete his treble from the spot, after Braca had been upended, as Panthers cruised home.
RESULT
AUSTRALIA CUP QUALIFYING ROUND 4
West Canberra Wanderers 0 Monaro Panthers 7 (Barac 9’, Terry 40’ (og), Straub 51’, Tine 58’, 65’, 89’ (p), Macor 81’)
Image: Daniel Barac in action against Tigers FC (Declan Smith)
