FFA Cup: Central Coast Mariners beat Brisbane Roar after penalty shootout
Brisbane Roar’s FFA Cup involvement has been ended by the Central Coast Mariners, but it was better news for Brisbane Strikers.
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Brisbane Roar have been knocked out of the FFA Cup, losing a penalty shootout 4-2 to the Central Coast Mariners at Dolphin Stadium on Wednesday night.
With scores locked 2-2 at the end of the extra-time, spot kicks were required to decide which team would advance to the quarter-finals.
And thanks to goalkeeper Mark Birighitti, who saved penalties from Roy O’Donovan and Tom Aldred, it was the Mariners - who lost an A-League grand final to Brisbane in a shootout in 2011 - who reached the last eight.
While the Robbie Fowler-coached Roar went out, it was better news for the Brisbane Strikers, who advanced to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over NPL New South Wales club Manly United at Perry Park.
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Defender Matthew Richardson scored the game’s only goal, heading home a Jake McLean free-kick in the 61st minute.
At Dolphin Stadium, the Mariners went ahead in the 21st minute from the penalty spot after a clumsy Scott Neville foul on veteran Central Coast striker Matt Simon.
The veteran marksman dusted himself off to convert the spot kick, sending Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young the wrong way.
The visitors rarely threatened for the rest of the first half, with Brisbane blowing three good chances to equalise before half-time.
Trying to make amends for giving away the penalty, Neville turned and fired over the crossbar in the 28th minute.
A minute later it was Stefan Mauk’s turn to be wasteful.
Found unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box by O’Donovan, Mauk couldn’t control his shot, which bounced over the bar.
Attacking weapon Brad Inman seemed certain to score in the 36th minute when he burst into the Mariners penalty area after receiving ball just past the halfway line.
But with only Mariners goalkeeper Birighitti to beat, Inman directed his shot too close to the grateful gloveman.
However, Inman made amends two minutes into the second half to get Brisbane back on level terms.
Receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area from wing-back Jake McGing, Inman created space for himself before unleashing with a shot that hit the inside of the post before rolling into the back of the net.
O’Donovan wasted a great chance to give Brisbane the lead in the 61st minute, firing a close-range shot over the bar after the Mariners gifted the hosts possession.
Mariners star and former Roar prodigy Tommy Oar let fly with a ferocious strike in the 72nd minute that crashed into the crossbar.
It was the start of a late Mariners’ resurgence that resulted in them again taking the lead in the 85th minute through substitute Samuel Silvera, who scored from close range after the ball was nodded into his path by Simon.
However, before the Mariners could start celebrating a win and a quarter-final berth, the Roar made it 2-2 via a penalty.
Brought down by midfield Milan Duric, O’Donovan dusted himself off to convert the spot kick and send the contest into extra-time.
Both sides had chances to score in the additional 30 minutes.
Mariners’ trio Jordan Murray, Dylan Fox and Simon couldn’t direct headers on target, while Roar substitute and former Mariners midfielder Aiden O’Neill smashed a shot into the post.
Elsewhere last night, Western Sydney Wanderers thrashed Sydney United 7-1, and Hume City beat Adelaide Olympic 3-1.
Mariners coach Alen Stajcic said his club’s ongoing Cup was a much-needed boost for last season’s A-League cellar dwellers.
“When I came in (to the coaching job) I said we wanted to give the fans hope, the players hope ... and this is the first time in FFA Cup history that we’ve beaten an A-League team,” Stajcic said.
“That gives the players a lot of confidence, it gives them a lot of belief ... we can compete with everyone this year, and if we keep improving there’s no reason why we can’t be much more competitive than we were last year.”
The fixtures for the #FFACup quarter-finals are IN! ðŸ†
— FOX Sports Football (@FOXFOOTBALL) August 28, 2019
With an exciting selection of @ALeague and @OfficialNPLAus sides in the mix, we're set for a HUGE round of games. ðŸ˜
FULL DRAW: https://t.co/zWKAP5VSFu pic.twitter.com/6CIfAC7Zar
Originally published as FFA Cup: Central Coast Mariners beat Brisbane Roar after penalty shootout