The FFA Cup 2019 Semi Final line up is complete after wins for Melbourne City and Brisbane Strikers on Wednesday night’s Match Day 2.
Stunning goals from Jamie Maclaren and Craig Noone helped City brush Wanderers aside in Melbourne, while in Brisbane, the Strikers edged Moreland Zebras in a five-goal thriller.
Here’s a full recap of the Match Day 2 Quarter Final action.
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Noone and Maclaren show rolls on
Craig Noone and Jamie Maclaren continued their fine FFA Cup form to send 2016 winners Melbourne City into the Semi Finals with a 3-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
- Daniel Lopar pulled off a sensational reaction save to deny Maclaren’s volley from point-blank range early on – but the Western Sydney ‘keeper would soon be left red faced.
- Scrambling across the byline to prevent a corner, the Switzerland native let the ball slip through his grasp, allowing Noone to round a retreating defender and pass the ball into an empty net.
- Maclaren added another shortly before the interval with a gloriously improvised finish – flicking Scott Galloway’s centre past Lopar at the near post.
- And Noone added an emphatic third to give coach Erick Mombaerts his first win at AAMI Park, stepping inside and bending a lovely strike past Lopar from outside the box.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514574001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6087361901001
Strikers hold out late Zebras charge to make final four
Brisbane Strikers will join Hyundai A-League clubs Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne City in the Semi Finals after beating Moreland Zebras 3-2 at Perry Park.
- Strikers peppered the Moreland goal early on and broke the deadlock midway through the first half when Fraser Hills met Ryan Palmer’s cutback with a tidy finish.
- Having teed up Hills for the opener, Palmer did it all himself to double the advantage: finishing smoothly one on one with Moreland gloveman Fraser Chalmers after he was sent racing through on goal.
- Thomas Barforosh pulled one goal back for Moreland in the 55th minute, but Brisbane restored the two goal advantage when Palmer buried the scraps after Hills’ shot was initially saved by Chalmers.
- The underdogs mounted a late fightback through Jakob Williams’ curler, but Brisbane held on to secure a top four berth.
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