Hawks Through To RD6 Of Westfield FFA Cup After Shootout
Dan Smith levels the contest from the spot.
Souths United 2 (Omerovic 57’, 62’) Holland Park Hawks 2 (Webb 58’, Smith 80’ pen) HT 0-0 AET 2-2 Hawks win 5-3 on penalties Played at Wakerley Park
Holland Park Hawks had to go the full distance but negotiated a penalty shootout and beat Souths United in Round Five of the Westfield FFA Cup after being tied 2-2 at the end of extra time. The first half was nothing to write home about with both sides struggling to create chances, although Hawks hit the bar with a free kick, but shortly after the break the game came to life when Harun Omerovic somehow managed to scramble the ball over the line in the middle of a goalmouth melee. Almost instantly, equilibrium was restored when Marko Radovanovic turned over the ball and presented an easy opportunity for Jack Webb who slotted the ball home from close range.
Harun Omerovic celebrates putting Souths United ahead at Wakerley Park.
Three minutes later the home side were in the lead again from the head of Omerovic who clinically despatched a curling cross in from the right. In the 80th minute, Holland Park found redemption when they were awarded a penalty for a seemingly innocuous off the ball incident and Dan Smith easily drove home from the spot. An extra half an hour was unable to separate the sides and it was a penalty from Chihiro Ezaki which smacked against the bar and ultimately decided the contest. On the balance of play, it was arguably a deserved outcome with Hawks holding possession for long periods and rarely looking under serious threat. Nonetheless, they can’t be too happy with their performance, often finding themselves creating space on the flanks without really threatening the central defence and butchering the opportunities which did present themselves. Souths also could argue they should have run out winners with two errors defining their performance despite absorbing plenty of pressure and tactically denying their opposition from dominating in their areas of traditional strength. With Strikers and City both exiting, the draw has opened up for HPH to make a genuine run at the Round of 32 as well the Flight Centre Premier League title if they can get a little more penetration in the front third. Souths will be bitterly disappointed with the result... no-one likes to go out in a penalty shoot-out, particularly when they had the game within grasp and it slipped through their fingers.
Coaches Reactions:
Vedran Becirbegovic (Souths United) - “Penalties are a lottery but I think it was a good game, very tough. They played really well with that particular style of sometime using the long ball. We tried to hurt them with the counter attack which was successful at times. It was probably an even game on amount of chances but they deserved to go forward and I wish good luck to them.
Anth Smith (Holland Park Hawks) - “Always hard for an opposition to lose like that but I thought it was a good game to watch really. Disappointed that we conceded two goals in the second half after dominating the first half. We’re through now and will take what comes our way. I thought it was a good game, a good cup tie, and someone has to progress so fortunately it was us.”
FBMedia Player Of The Match: Drew Jeskey (Souths United).
Jeskey’s positioning was impeccable tonight. He continually snuffed out threatening attacks and was dominant aerially, particularly from corners.
Match Stats:
Overall Possession: 40% - 60%
Shots on target: 7 - 6
Shots off target: 3 - 9
Corners: 1 - 9
Free kicks: 15 - 23
Penalties: 0 - 1
Offsides: 2 - 3
Yellow cards: 5 - 3
Red cards: 0 - 0
Team line-ups
Souths United: Radovanovic, Jeskey, Varma, McKain, Lyell, Ezaki, Maher, Smith, Anderson, Omerovic, Radulovic. Subs: Lahiff, Marshall, Murakami, Stojakovic, Goodwin.
Holland Park Hawks: Short, McKenna, Gore, Smith, Le Petit, Aviles, Webb, Carr, Ishimoto, Madle, MacAskill. Subs: Ballard, Brattan, Mulligan, Pearson, Sherwood,.. Referee: Alex King
