The final places in the Quarter Finals of the Australia Cup were claimed on Wednesday night in a tight set of fixtures.
It was a good night for the visiting teams as A-Leagues outfits Sydney FC and Western United advanced, while NPL Victoria’s Heidelberg United also went through.
APIA Leichhardt FC - 0
Sydney FC - 2 (Anthony CACERES 54’, Patrick WOOD 66’)
Sydney FC saw off a stern test from NPL NSW premiers APIA Leichhardt winning 2-0 at Leichhardt Oval.
It took some Anthony Caceres magic early in the second half to break the deadlock, wriggling his way into a shooting position before rolling in an accurate low finish.
The side made it two just after the hour mark as Patrick Wood lashed in a powerful strike for his second goal of the season which settled the tie.
Gold Coast Knights FC - 0
Western United - 2 (Jaiden WALKER O.G. 72’, Matthew GRIMALDI 90+3’)
NPL Queensland table-toppers Gold Coast Knights gave Western United a scare but went down 2-0 at Croatian Sports Centre
In a competitive encounter, Western United finally snatched the advantage in the 72nd minute with Jaiden Walker bundling the ball into his own net.
Matthew Grimaldi added United’s second deep into stoppage time, finishing off a fast counter and sealing the team’s passage through.
Mount Druitt Town Rangers FC - 0
Heidelberg United FC - 3 (Kaine SHEPPARD 5’, Eoin ASHTON 40’, Aamir ABDALLAH 90+1’)
A first-half double helped Heidelberg United overcome Mount Druitt Town Rangers 3-0 at Popondetta Park.
The visitors bagged an early lead with striker Kaine Sheppard getting on the end of Sean Ellis’ inswinging set piece.
Heidelberg added a second five minutes before halftime when Eoin Ashton reacted fastest after Sheppard’s original effort rebounded off the post.
Aamir Abdallah added further gloss in stoppage time, sliding a neat finish into the bottom left corner to confirm the result.
Australia Cup 2023 Quarter Final Draw
Following the Round of 16 action, the Quarter Final Draw was conducted and produced a number of intriguing encounters.
Match details will be confirmed by Football Australia in due course.
