FFA Cup quarterfinals: Sydney FC beat Avondale FC 4-2 after extra time
SYDNEY FC are in the semifinals of the FFA Cup, but they had to do it the hard way, needing extra time to overcome Victorian state league side Avondale.
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SYDNEY FC are in the semifinals of the FFA Cup, but only after surviving an almighty scare at the hands of Victorian state league side Avondale.
Two goals down to the cup holders at halftime of their quarterfinal, Avondale produced a stirring comeback to draw level and force the game into extra time.
But as fatigue set in for the home side just five days after an equally epic NPL semifinal win, Sydney found two more goals in extra time to claim a place in the FFA Cup semifinal for the third season in a row.
Welcome though the win was in the end for new Sky Blues coach Steve Corica, there is much for him to ponder after their absolute control of the first half disappeared in the face of a storming Avondale revival.
That seemed a long way away in the opening stages, as the Sky Blues ruthlessly shredded their hosts and showed Avondale how to pull a team apart. By halftime, Sydney could have had five.
Avondale’s use of a high defensive line looked brave to start with, but increasingly foolhardy as Sydney tore it to shreds through the lightning pace of Trent Buhagiar and the movement of new marquee striker Adam Le Fondre.
On 11 minutes Buhagiar raced clear with no defenders in sight, but his curling shot thudded off the bar. Moments later goalkeeper Chris Oldfield was at full stretch to push away Le Fondre’s distance strike.
With 17 minutes played, though, the dam was breached. This time it was a pass from Rhyan Grant down the right that freed Le Fondre for a first-time cross gratefully converted by Buhagier from close range.
On 29 minutes the ball was moved to Brandon O’Neill in the centre circle and immediately on to Le Fondre, who measured a through ball into the path of Buhagiar. Drawing Oldfield, the 20-year-old slid home his second.
He could have had more, denied twice by Oldfield, and the tie looked a foregone conclusion – until Avondale looked deep into their own souls and threw everything into turning the tide.
Roared on by their support, Avondale were a different team. On 56 minutes they had a lifeline when Brandon O’Neill’s attempt to clear Zinni’s cross fell limply to the feet of Liam Boland for an instant shot in off the post from 20m.
Five minutes later the home sound sparked delirium with an equaliser. Goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne was badly at fault, flapping at Zinni’s cross and giving Boland an unmissable chance to level the scores.
Redmayne found some measure of redemption with flying saves to repel a freekick from Jonatan Germano and then Yitay Town’s fizzing shot in the last seconds of normal time.
The importance of those saves became obvious in extra time, when the substitute Chris Zuvela’s clever pass freed Milos Ninkovic into the Avondale box to fire home Sydney’s third.
Avondale fought on, but when Josh Brillante’s long ball fell kindly for Le Fondre to run clear and score, the game was up.
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