Report: Avondale earn big win as Hellas make Quarter-Finals
Super Saturday presented another couple of thrilling encounters as Avondale FC won big while South Melbourne made the Quarter-Finals in dramatic fashion.
Canberra Croatia 1-4 Avondale FC
Another comprehensive display from Avondale FC earned the side a big win over Canberra Croatia and kept their unbeaten Australian Championship run going.
The visitors burst into a two-goal lead after the half-hour mark.
Bruno Fornaroli got the scoring started, demonstrating excellent composure to bring the ball down in the box before firing it into the right of the goal.
Soon after, Luka Tevere steered home a right-wing cross with a super first-time effort into the bottom left corner to put Avondale in a strong position heading into the sheds.
While Canberra found themselves two goals down at the break, they did create a couple of chances in the first half, but failed to take advantage.
Just six minutes into the second half, Avondale added a third goal. Cian Cuba received the ball in the right of the area and tapped home with a simple first-time finish.
Moments later, the side grabbed their fourth. Fornaroli squared the ball to Cuba, where he forced Sebastian Arranz into a fantastic save, but the ball fell back, and Cuba made no mistake the second time around.
Cuba’s quick-fire brace added the final gloss to keep Avondale in the top two of Group C, despite a late consolation from Canberra’s Keegan Vucetic.
Sydney Olympic 1-2 South Melbourne
South Melbourne came from behind again to beat Sydney Olympic and earn their place in the Quarter-Finals.
Olympic opened the scoring in spectacular fashion just after the half-hour mark. Ali Auglah hunted down a ball into the right channel, where the winger wriggled his way into the right of the box and finished emphatically.
Auglah’s goal continues a sparkling run of form Olympic, scoring in each of Olympic’s Australian Championship matches.
Olympic held on to their lead as the game entered the final 10 minutes, but in the 83rd minute, South Melbourne restored parity. Jordan Lampard with a searing volley from the edge of the box that skimmed into the bottom left corner - his second goal of the tournament and against Olympic.
The hosts almost equalised right away through Ryan Fuetz. The attacking midfielder picked the ball up in a great position in the left of the box, but South Melbourne goalkeeper Javi Lopez produced an important save.
In the third minute of additional time, South Melbourne turned the score line around and grabbed a late winner. Substitute Bilal Habib turned neatly on the left edge of the box and arrowed an effort inside the near post that snuck under Olympic goalkeeper Jack Gibson.
The late win confirms South Melbourne’s place in the Quarter-Finals - the only team to still have a perfect record in the competition.