FC Melbourne wins heart-stopping penalty shootout, South Melbourne cupset
Victorian Cinderella story FC Melbourne makes history, while NPL power South Melbourne knocks A-League club Wellington out of the Australia Cup.
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This is what the Australia Cup is about, a footballing giant and ambitious minnow making history.
South Melbourne, the country’s greatest club, and high-flying VPL2 leader FC Melbourne claimed stunning victories on Tuesday night to earn passage to the Round of 16.
Hellas produced the second Cupset in as many weeks by a Victorian club as it sent A-League club Wellington Phoenix packing with a 1-0 win in front of a packed Lakeside Stadium.
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Meanwhile, at the Home of the Matildas, Srbija survived a heart-stopping penalty shootout to defeat South Australian power Modbury Jets.
FC Melbourne, which sits on top of the state’s third division, is making its debut in the national stages and is the lowest ranked club left in the competition.
The Jets burst out of the blocks as Francesco Schmizzi scored in just the fourth minute of the match.
However, the hosts were level in the 55th minute as Marko Ilic rose strongly to head home from a corner.
Neither team could break the deadlock in the remaining time or extra-time and the match went to penalties.
Four perfect Srbija spot kicks and a clutch save from Jarrod Hill won the day.
Maksim Ilic scored first before Hill stopped Jesse Francesca, Matthew Papadimitriou made no mistake and Hamish McCabe then skied his effort and Hikaru Ichigi finished the job.
Across town at Lakeside Stadium, it was South Melbourne that struck early.
Harrison Sawyer scored in the fourth minute to put the NPL Victoria leaders in front.
A sublime pass from Zak Spiteri cracked the Phoenix defence wide open and the talismanic captain made no mistake with a first time shot past Alby Kelly-Heald.
Despite a glut of possession, Wellington couldn’t break down Hellas’ determined defence, having just one shot on target.
The victory is the 15th “Cupset” in the competition’s history and follows fellow Victorian power Oakleigh Cannon’s shock win over reigning champion Sydney FC last week.
It continues a famous week for South Melbourne, which claimed the 100th Dockerty Cup on Saturday with a penalty shootout win over the Cannons.
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The club can also wrap up the NPL Victoria premiership this weekend when it faces Avondale.
It’s the first time South has reached the Round of 16 since 2017, when it made it all the way to a semi-final.
It was a hat-trick of wins for Victorian club as A-League club Melbourne Victory eased past Newcastle-based Lambton Jaffas 4-1.
Heidelberg United will be gunning for a third cupset and a clean sweep for Victorian state league clubs when it tackles reigning A-League premier and champion Central Coast Mariners on Wednesday night.
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