FSC FFA CUP ROUND 5 REVIEW

The FFA Cup fifth round was a tough one for Illawarra sides, with six of the seven Illawarra sides being shown the door against tough opposition, while NPL 1 side Wollongong Wolves punched their ticket to the sixth round with a big win over Community League side Coledale Waves.

Match 105 – Bulli FC vs Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC

@ Balls Paddock, 7:30pm Wednesday 1 May

Bulli were unable to progress to the sixth stage of FFA Cup Qualifying after falling to a 4-2 defeat to NPL 2 side Bonnyrigg White Eagles at Balls Paddock.

The visitors shot to a quick two goal lead before Bulli responded in kind, firing home two goals in four minutes to ensure both sides entered the sheds at half-time on level terms. However, Bonnyrigg came out of the gates firing, with a pair of quick goals in the 50^th and 51^st minutes enough to secure their passage through to the next round.

Match 110 – Sydney United 58 FC vs Woonona FC

@ Sydney United Sports Centre, 7:30pm Wednesday 1 May

Woonona saw their equal-best FFA Cup run end at the hands of NPL 1 side Sydney United 58, going down 3-0 at Sydney United Sports Centre.

The Sharks found themselves on the back foot going into the half-time break after conceding two goals in the opening half but a tight second half saw the game remain at 2-0 right until the 89^th minute when Sydney United 58 added their third goal and ensured that the Sharks’ cup run ended at the fifth round.

Match 113 – Rockdale City Suns FC vs Wollongong United

@ Illinden Sports Centre, 7:30pm Wednesday 1 May

Wollongong United exited the cup in dramatic fashion, conceding a goal in stoppage time to lose 3-2 to NPL 1 side Rockdale City Suns in a Macedonian derby at Illinden Sports Centre.

Rockdale pulled ahead around the half-hour mark before Matthew McNab levelled the scores to ensure that both sides entered the second-half on level terms. A fantastic penalty save from Sam Nastic early in the second half ensured that the scores remained level until the 75^th minute when McNab grabbed his second goal of the match to fire Wollongong United in front. But that lead was short lived with Rockdale equalizing shortly after McNab’s strike before the NPL 1 side grabbed a winner in the third minute of stoppage time to secure a dramatic win and send Wollongong United out of the cup.

Match 116 – Dulwich Hill FC vs Tarrawanna Blueys

@ Valentine Sports Park 2, 7:30pm Wednesday 1 May

Tarrawanna were unable to replicate last season’s magical FFA Cup run, going down to NPL 3 side Dulwich Hill at Valentine Sports Park.

The Blueys were on the backfoot for most of the opening half, with Dulwich Hill opening the scoring midway through the opening period. But the Illawarra Premier League leaders were quickly able to level the scores with Corey Horner making the most of a scramble to tap home a loose ball and send the sides into the half-time break on level terms. But Dulwich Hill came out firing in the second half, grabbing a goal two minutes in before securing the result in the 60^th minute with their third goal of the match, Tarrawanna unable to recover and exiting the FFA Cup at the hands of the same side who eliminated Wollongong Olympic a couple of weeks earlier.

Match 120 – Coledale Waves FC vs Wollongong Wolves FC

@ Ian McLennan Park, 7:30pm Wednesday 1 May

Community League side Coledale Waves were no match for NPL 1 leaders Wollongong Wolves, falling to an 11-0 thrashing at Ian McLennan Park.

The Wolves took the lead early and never let go, running to a handy 5-0 lead at the half-time break before adding another six in the second half to round out a strong win. However, Coledale can still be very happy with how the campaign turned out, making the deepest run of any Community League side this season and providing a fantastic atmosphere that never let up despite the score on the field.

Match 124 – Manly United FC vs Coniston FC

@ Cromer Park, 8pm Wednesday 24 April

Coniston were unable to get past NPL 1 side Manly United, falling to a 3-0 defeat at Cromer Park in one of the first matches of the FFA Cup fifth round.

The Illawarra Premier League side had a tough time against the fifth-placed Manly, with a solid performance not enough to overturn a three-goal deficit, with the result meaning Coniston’s deepest ever run in the FFA Cup comes to an end.

Review by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt

Photo courtesy of Richie Wagner