WATCH: Penalties and goals galore as Round of 16 comes to a close

Two penalty shootouts were needed to determine who would progress to the Australia Cup Quarter Finals as the Round of 16 came to a close on Wednesday night. 

Adelaide City –  (1) 2 ( Zak Waters 76’, Matthew DAWBER 109’) 
Adelaide United –  (4) 2 (Zach CLOUGH 27’, Louis D’ARRIGO 95‎'‎)

The first meeting between Adelaide City FC and Adelaide United in the Australia Cup produced an enthralling encounter. 

City came out of the blocks early and United struggled to contain them with former City defender Lachlan Barr picking up an early yellow card for the Reds.

While City applied the early pressure, it was United who took the lead through Zach Clough in the 27th minute. Clough was in the right place at the right time to smash home Hiroshi Ibusuki’s blocked shot. 

United took a one-goal lead into half time but City came out firing in the second half. Daniel Bressan played reverse ball for Zak Waters,  who thumped the ball into the bottom corner for the equaliser.

The match finished 1-1 but Adelaide United retook their lead through Louis D'Arrigo, who found the back of the net after finishing off a mazy run from Bernardo.

But United could not keep City out. The NPLSA champions found another equaliser in the 109th minute. This time it was Matthew Dawber, who popped up to smash home a goal-mouth scramble after a corner was lofted into the area. 

The sides could not be separated after extra time and a penalty shootout was needed to find the winner of the Adelaide derby.

Juande fired United ahead in the shootout by slotting the ball into the bottom right corner before City’s Jai King had his penalty saved by Joe Gauci. City goalkeeper Dakota Ochsenham then guessed the right way for Ibuskui’s low driven penalty but he could not keep it out. 

Charlie Devereux scored City’s first penalty by blasting it down the middle before Alexandar Popovic’s penalty snuck underneath Ochsenham. Gauci then made another save to put United in pole position in the shootuout and Ben Halloran sealed the Reds path to the Quarter Finals by sending Ochsenham the wrong way in the final penalty. 

Oakleigh Cannons  –  5 (Nicolas NIAGIORAN 4’ 11’,  Joe GUEST 60’ 94’, Aryn WILLIAMS 112’)
Brisbane City  – 3 (Yuta HIRAYAMA 22’ 90‎+‎3‎’, Fraser HILLS 61‎'‎)

Oakleigh Cannons secured their passage through to the Quarter Finals with two goals in extra time to sink Brisbane City at Jack Edwards Reserve in Melbourne. 

It did not take long for Oakleigh to open the scoring through Nicolas Niagioran, who tapped in Joe Guest’s square ball after just four minutes. 

Niagioran got his second of the night six minutes later as he headed home a corner after coming in unmarked on the back post. 

But Brisbane City were not out of the contest and they put their poor start behind them by pulling a goal back through Yuta Hirayama. The City attacker nutmegged Nick Feely in the Oakleigh goal after being played through. 

The Cannons restored their two-goal lead 15 minutes into the second half through Guest, who wrongfooted Riley Stent with a low-driven shot after receiving the ball from a throw-in and serging into the box. 

Just a minute later, Fraser Hills pulled a goal straight back after receiving the ball on the right and firing across the Feely to make it 3-2. 

Niagioran had the chance to secure his hattrick after Oakleigh were awarded a penalty but Stent made a great save low down to his left to keep City in the game. 

But Brisbane City found that equaliser with virtually the last kick off the game. With the goalkeeper up for the corner, Hirayama smashed home after a goalmouth scrap to send the game to extra time. 

While City pushed hard to find the winner in extra time, Oakleigh were too strong. Guest grabbed his second of the night in the 94th minute after pouncing on City’s inability to clear the ball in the box. 

Aryn Williams then put the icing on the cake and sealed Oakleigh’s place in the Quarter Finals with a smart near-post header after a free-kick. 

Melbourne City –  1 (Mathew LECKIE 84’) 
Wellington Phoenix –  2 (Kosta BARBAROUSES 18’, Ben WAINE 36’)

Wellington booked their place in the Quarter Finals after taking a two goal lead against Melbourne City at Casey Fields. 

Kosta Barbarouses opened the scoring for Wellington after 18 minutes when he pounced on a loose ball in the six-yard box after a series of failed clearances from City. 

Wellington then doubled their lead through Ben Waine, who rose highest from Sam Sutton’s cross and thumped a header into the top corner 15 minutes later. 

Wellington took a two-goal lead into half time but City fought back in the second half as they pushed for a route back into the match.

And that chance came in the 84th minute when Mathew Leckie headed home Callum Talbot’s inswinging cross. 

While City pulled one back, there was not enough time to rescue an equaliser and Wellington progressed to the Quarter Finals. 

Avondale –  (1) 2 (Liam BOLAND 67’, Stefan ZINNI 119’) 
Brisbane Roar –  (4) 2 (Riku DANZAKI 58’, Henry HORE 96‎'‎) 

In tough conditions at the Valley Park Sports Centre, Avondale and Brisbane Roar played out a 2-2 draw and the teams could only be separated by a penalty shootout. 

In a first half with clear-cut chances few and far between, the A-League Men side dominated possession but could not fashion any shots on target as the two sides went into half time scoreless. 

While the first half was a tight affair, Brisbane came out of the blocks quickly in the second half and took the lead through Riku Danzaki. The Japanese playmaker picked up the ball in the opposition box and fired across the keeper into the top left corner to score on his Roar return. 

But Brisbane's task became even harder when Jack Hingert received a second yellow card for pulling back his man. 

Avondale made use of their numerical advantage and were awarded a penalty after Tom Aldred was adjudged to handball in the area. Liam Boland then stepped up and smashed home Avondale’s equaliser from the spot. 

The teams could not be separated after 90 minutes and the match went to extra time. The Roar retook the lead in the 96th minute through Henry Hore, who cut inside after receiving the ball from Danzaki on the left and curled the ball into the bottom right corner. 

But the A-League side could not keep Avondale out of the contest and the NPL Victoria side found another equaliser in the 119th minute. This time it was Stefan Zinni who popped up to fire past Macklin Freke after a goal-mouth scramble.

Just like the 90 minutes, the two sides could not be separated in extra time and a penalty shootuout was needed. 

Kye Trewin stepped up first to hand Brisbane a 1-0 lead in the shootout after smashing the ball down the middle but Yusuf Ahmed levelled the scores after drilling the ball into the bottom left corner. Hore and Charlie Austin then converted their penalties while Avondale went on to miss two before Connor Chapman sealed the win for the A-League side and a passage through to the Quarter Finals for a second time.