A second-half brace from striker Nik Popovich helped to send Canberra Olympic into Preliminary Round 6 of the Australia Cup/ the Capital Football Federation Cup Semi-Final with a convincing 3-0 victory against West Canberra Wanderers at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Popovich, who returned to the team having served a one-match suspension after being dismissed in the National Premier League Round 2 match against O’Connor Knights, was on hand to slot home twice after the interval, showing his ice-cold finishing that ultimately ended Wanderers cup hopes.
Olympic were largely in control of the match from the outset, Wanderers young goalkeeper Kristian Nel forced into action to make smart saves from a bullet header from defender Nicholas Subasic and a low shot from striker Thomas James, as the underdogs were forced to live off scraps.
There were few real threats for Sebastian Usai in the Olympic goal to deal with, although the hard-running of Harry Truman and the creative nous of Angus Bailey made sure that the Olympic defence was kept honest.
It appeared as if the Wanderers would make it to the break with the scoreboard locked in stalemate but, as they did in the opening match of the NPL season, Olympic were to make the crucial breakthrough in the shadows of half-time and, as they did that day at Greenway Enclosed, they did so via a free-kick.
Alen James teased in a low dead-ball from the right flank that namesake Thomas James delightfully dummied allowing it to roll across the six-yard box where central defender Lasse Olrik was in the right place at the right time to steer into the net from close range for his second goal of the season.
It was a sucker-punch for the Wanderers who needed to regroup at the interval and try and put behind them their woes in front of goal in 2023, having only managed one league goal in three outings leading into this cup tie.
However, it was Olympic who struck what proved to be the killer blow thirteen minutes after the restart. Livewire Luca Florez was the creator, the forward dancing past a couple of attempted challenges inside the area before rolling a square pass to the unmarked Popovich who had the simple task of tapping into the empty net.
The movement of the Olympic number nine was proving to be tough for the Wanderers to manage and, with sixteen minutes remaining, Popovich was able to book Olympic a semi-final berth against Belconnen United by netting for the fourth time in two Australia Cup Qualifying matches.
This time it was Luca Macor who carved the opening, slicing through the retreating Wanderers defence and sliding the perfect pass to Popovich who had made a superb, angled run. There was still work to do, but Popovich made it look ridiculously easy, slipping his shot underneath the advancing Nel to secure progression.
RESULT
Canberra Olympic 3 (Olrik 44’, Popovich 58’, 74’) West Canberra Wanderers 0
