FFA Cup: Adelaide United made to work to beat Olympic FC
Teen sensation Al-Hassan Toure scored a double but Adelaide United were made to work against Brisbane’s Olympic FC in their FFA Cup clash.
Adelaide United edged closer to retaining the FFA Cup for a third time in a clash which is sure to have coach Gertjan Verbeek working his squad even harder in preseason.
Adelaide beat its NPL opponent Brisbane Olympic 3-2 at Perry Park in unconvincing fashion before the Reds marched into the last eight of the knockout tournament.
Two goals from teenage sensation Al-Hassan Toure weren’t enough as Olympic equalised twice.
The first came from Costa Psaros and then Chris Lucas scored from the penalty spot which had Adelaide lurching in the second half.
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However Riley McGree winning a spot kick in the 82nd minute after a surging run before he was brought down inside the box saw Adelaide re-claim the lead.
Substitute George Blackwood calmly converted to hand Adelaide a 3-2 win but a Paul Izzo world class save from a Lucas shot in the 85th minute was needed to secure the next round of the FFA Cup.
Adelaide looked to be cruising early when Toure scored the opener for the reigning FFA Cup champion when the game was just 10 minutes old.
The 19-year-old who earned a scholarship contract with Adelaide this week latched onto a neat through ball from Ben Halloran to slot the leather home from 10m.
Toure again led the front line after scoring on his first team debut in a 5-2 FFA Cup win over Melbourne Knights in Melbourne this month.
However less than 90 seconds later Olympic was level.
Psaros got between stopper Jordan Elsey and Izzo to slot the ball home from 8m after a long ball had Adelaide short on defensive numbers.
At that point it appeared the Perry Park hex was about to haunt the Reds again.
Adelaide had lost all but one of three previous meetings at the boutique Brisbane venue since 2004 but Toure restored the lead in the 26th minute.
The striker with Liberian heritage easily tucked the ball home from 5m when right back Michael Marrone’s lead up work ripped Olympic’s last line to shreds.
Verbeek wasn’t happy, however, he appeared to be discontent with the slow ball movement.
He was gesticulating to his side that he wanted more intensity before referee Shaun Evans signalled the end to a half which saw Adelaide suffer.
Olympic’s Jez Lofthouse issued the Reds a huge warning in the 57th minute when he turned Elsey before firing a 15m drive which cannoned off the crossbar.
Marrone ended his shift for Ryan Strain two minutes later as Olympic unloaded goal machine Lucas off the bench in search of an equaliser.
Lucas jagged a hat-trick in a 5-2 FFA Cup win over WA’s Bayswater City last month.
He did his job when he converted a spot kick to equalise at 2-2 after Psaros’ shot hit the arm of Vince Lia inside the box.
Lucas sent Izzo wrong way with his first touch before Verbeek unloaded the entire Reds bench.
Toure was replaced by Blackwood and Nikola Mileusnic saw some action for new season signing Michael Maria.
Olympic then survived a huge scare when Adelaide’s Ryan Kitto’s header was brilliantly saved by gloveman Brandon Cuminao before the ball was cleared off the line.