South Melbourne are the final team through to the Semi-Finals of the inaugural Australian Championship, battling to a 2-0 win against NWS Spirit on Sunday.
South Melbourne 2-0 NWS Spirit
A goal in each half proved sufficient for Hellas to earn their place in the Semi-Finals.
The hosts almost grabbed the lead within the first couple of minutes. Marco Jankovic glanced a header goalwards from a corner that provoked a sharp reaction stop from Spirit goalkeeper Christopher Marques.
In the ninth minute, Spirit responded through Oliver Wiggin, who sprinted down the right wing and drove a shot narrowly wide of the left post.
South Melbourne made the most of their trademark long-throw strategy and opened the scoring 34 minutes in. Max Mikkola hurled the ball towards the far post from the right, where Oliver Lavale nodded in.
The side nearly doubled their lead soon before halftime as the lively Lavale set off down the right and fired across goal, where Marques tipped it around the far post.
South Melbourne took their slender lead into halftime after a strong first-half performance.
There was drama less than a minute into the second half when Spirit's Aeydon Kyra was given a red card moments after coming on. The decision was successfully reviewed using the Football Video Support (FVS) system, and the NPL NSW Premiers remained with 11 players on the field.
The visitors started to fight back in the second half as they stepped up their attacking efforts and worked to pin South Melbourne back.
The hosts stayed resolute and snatched a second goal in the 70th minute. Mikkola picked up the ball on the right and drifted into the box before rolling an effort into the goal off the near post.
Spirit resumed their pursuit of a route back into the match and almost found it in the 87th minute, when South Melbourne goalkeeper Javier Lopez was called into action with a close-range save.
In the end, South Melbourne continued their near-flawless run in the competition to advance through to the final four.