Verdi Football Club has made history in the Australia Cup by claiming victory in the Northern Territory, defeating Mindil Aces Football Club 2-0 to advance to the Final Round where they will face Hellenic Athletic Club for a place in the Round of 32.
In what had a different feeling to the game, Verdi came to play from the very outset. The best from the Red Centre certainly came to play and nearly took the lead early on, but the Aces keeper Mondol keeping Gauchan's header off the line.
In the FICA competition, Verdi sit top of the table and hadn't lost a game, conceding only two goals all season. Their football credibility was absolutely shown and in the 20th minute were awarded a penalty kick for an off-the-ball incident.
Despite the Aces' keeper best efforts to put him off, Timileyin Adeosun placed it straight down the middle to put the Verdi side up. The Aces didn't just lay down. They threw burst of attacks at the backline of the away outfit, but it came up fruitless going into the half.
In the second half, it followed a similar sort of script, the Aces bossing the majority of possession and Verdi looked lethal on the counter. It looked to be a single goal would be enough until the ball broke out to who else but Tayvian Ludvigsen. The former Aces hero, through on goal, squared up the ball for Benjamin Gatkek who booked their place into the NT Final of the Australia Cup.
