Thursday 28th April
Lanyon United (SL1) 1 (Tamotsu Kanazawa 90’) O’Connor Knights (CL) 2 (Brett Forward 29’, Hector Cirda-Cid 60’)
(Hawker Football Centre)
Capital League O’Connor Knights marched on to Round 4 of the Westfield FFA Cup and a potential date with the giants of Canberra football after they edged past State League 1 Lanyon United 2-1 at Hawker Football Centre. In a classic cup tie the underdogs gave as good as they got for large parts of the match but the greater quality of their opponents eventually told although Lanyon, and their travelling band of supporters, can be justifiably proud of their showing.
In a tight first half the only goal of the opening forty-five minutes was scored just before the half-hour. The Knights were awarded a penalty for an infringement inside the area and, although Ben Miller in the Lanyon goal saved well from Knights striker Brett Forward, the ball rebounded kindly for the penalty taker and he made no mistake from the follow-up. Both teams had chances in the remainder of the half to extend the lead but neither could add to the score-line. The Knights went two up on the sixty minute mark but it was a goal that was hotly disputed by the United players.
A pass sent Hector Cirda-Cid through and although the assistant appeared to flag the referee allowed play to continue and the Knights were two to the good. If lady luck was on their side there it deserted the Capital League team moments later as a goal-mouth scramble ended with a thunderous strike cannoning down off the underside of the crossbar and, looking like, marginally over the line. This time the call went against O’Connor and Lanyon breathed a sigh of relief. With time running out the underdogs gave themselves a lifeline as Tamotsu Kanazawa caught Ante Jurkovic off his line and lifted the ball over the Knights ‘keeper to reduce the deficit. It was to be too little, too late for Lanyon however and O’Connor made their way into the last sixteen.
Lanyon United: 1. Ben MILLER, 3. Matthew FOOTE, 5. Joel ANDERSON, 6. Tamotsu KANAZAWA, 8. Nicholas GRANT, 10. Chandar Shekhar NAIR, 11. Joshua NEIT, 13. Frank CALABRIA, 14. Dylan COTTER, 15. Joshua REYNOLDS, 18. James DOWNIE
Substitutes used: 4. Benjamin HUGHSTON, 6. Dako CEKO, 17. B MOCKEY
O’Connor Knights: 1. Ante JURKOVIC, 2. Hector CIRDA-CID, 3. Denne MCHUGH, 4. Tal EVANS, 5. Igor CAUSOSKI, 6. Robert HRSTIC, 7. Steven ZARDO, 10. Brett FORWARD, 11. Lachlan RIDDELL, 13. Kynan DODD, 15. Brandon HAWKER
Substitutes used: 12. K LEE, 14. Steven KELAVA, 19. Jeoff NOJA
YELLOW CARDS: 3. Matthew FOOTE, 15. Joshua REYNOLDS (Lanyon United), 5. Igor CAUSOSKI, 13. Kynan DODD (O’Connor Knights)
RED CARDS: Nil