West Adelaide thrashes Western Strikers 5-1 to advance to Federation Cup final

WEST Adelaide set up a dream Federation Cup final with traditional rival Adelaide City after trouncing Western Strikers 5-1 in last night’s semi-final.

West Adelaide’s Ricardo Da Silva, in action against Adelaide City earlier this season, sc

WEST Adelaide set up a dream Federation Cup final with traditional rival Adelaide City after trouncing Western Strikers 5-1 in last night’s semi-final at Adelaide Shores.

The former NSL giants will get a shot at a return to soccer’s national stage with the winner of the May 31 Hindmarsh Stadium decider qualifying for the inaugural FFA Cup.

Strikers — who sit second bottom of the Premier League — took a shock lead after nine minutes when a powerful cross by Chahine Noujaim was turned into his own net by West defender Michael Alexandrou.

With skipper Michele Lastella marshalling his troops from the back an upset looked on the cards.

But West slowly played its way back into the game with striker Tom Briscoe forcing Strikers’ keeper Takumi Takahashi into a fine block on 30 minutes.

Four minutes later, the league-leader was on level terms.

An attempted clearance by Takahashi was charged down by Ricardo Da Silva who squared the ball to strike partner Briscoe to cooly slot home.

In first half stoppage time, Strikers carved out a chance to regain the lead when Alemayo Kadebe’s far post header looped over the stranded Kon Tsacos but hit the top of the cross bar before being scrambled to safety.

The match was turned on its head in a devastating spell early in the second period.

Five minutes after the break, a through ball by Alexandrou saw the livewire Briscoe spring the Strikers offside trap before angling his shot precisely inside the far post.

In the 54th minute the impressive Nathan Andijanto picked up the ball 35m from goal and held off two Strikers defenders before finishing into the top corner from just inside the box.

Briscoe added his second and West’s fourth in the 66th minute when he blocked an attempted clearance and sprinted from the halfway line before slotting past an exposed Takahashi.

Former Adelaide City striker Da Silva rounded out the scoring a minute from time when he was picked out by Kosta Mantis and smashed his shot home inside the near post.

The winner of this year’s Federation Cup will represent SA in the new national knockout cup.