Marconi Stallions are the first team through to the Semi-Finals of the Australian Championship with an exhilarating penalty victory over NSW rivals Wests APIA on Friday night.
Wests APIA 1(7)-1(8) Marconi Stallions
The Marconi Stallions have earned their place in the Semi-Finals after overcoming Wests APIA on penalties.
The hosts almost made the perfect start to the match when defender Patrick Flottmann nodded onto the right post from a Seiya Kambayashi corner three minutes in.
APIA knitted together a neat move in the 20th minute as Fabian Monge slid a clever ball into Kambayashi in the right of the box, but he blasted wide of the near post.
In the 36th minute, Presley Ortiz fired a fierce effort from a similar position to Kambayashi's earlier effort, with Marconi goalkeeper James Hilton called into a vital save. Ortiz came close again twice before the break, rolling an effort wide of the right post and then testing Hilton's glovework with a deflected shot.
Despite a series of opportunities for the home side, they went into the sheds with the deadlock still to be broken against the Stallions.
The second half got off to a spirited start as APIA's Dom Costanzo sent an effort flying over the bar 54 minutes in.
Four minutes later, Hilton produced a stunning stop to deny in-form midfielder Franco Farinella, whose powerful header was palmed behind.
Marconi had worked hard to withstand consistent pressure from their opponents, and they stayed patient, taking the lead in the 71st minute. Tyren Burnie's right-wing cross dropped to substitute Matej Busek, who lashed an effort from close range past APIA goalkeeper Oliver Kalac.
APIA set about an equaliser, throwing numbers forward. In the 82nd minute, Kambayashi's left-sided corner curled onto the crossbar.
The home side threatened once more in the fifth minute of additional time, when Alex Denmead prodded a first-time shot wide from inside the area.
It looked like it was all over for APIA. Still, four minutes later, another substitute, 16-year-old Oscar Gonzalez, buried a header, following Michael Kouta's left-wing delivery to send the match to extra time.
In a tense first half of extra time, the sides could not be separated, with the best moment falling APIA's way as Marconi defender George Daniel cleared Rory Jordan's rolling effort from the goal line.
With two minutes of extra time to go, Busek nearly snatched his second for the Stallions as he drove an effort towards the right of the goal, causing Kalac to make a sprawling save.
Deep into stoppage time, Franco Maya received a red card after his second yellow for the visitors, leaving them to finish off the remaining seconds with 10 players, as penalties approached.
The goalkeepers were the standouts as they both produced two saves to set up the scores as level heading into the final penalty kick before sudden death, but well-taken penalties saw the shootout move beyond the first five.
At 7-7, it was the keepers' turn to take on the do-or-die shots. Hilton saved Kalac's effort before the NPL NSW Goalkeeper of the Year rifled his attempt high into the goal to take Marconi through to the Semi-Finals.