Last year’s quarter-finalists Palm Beach Sharks made it through to the last 16 of the 2015 edition of the FFA Cup with a penalty shootout win over South Melbourne in Robina.
The match at Cbus Super Stadium ended 1-1 at the end of regulation time and with no further goals added in the additional half-hour period the tie was decided from the penalty spot.
The Sharks, whose thrilling run in last season’s competition was ended in the last eight by A-League side Central Coast Mariners, progressed 8-7 in the shootout.
The Palm Beach goalkeeper, Shane Viitakangas, saved two spot kicks, including one from the South captain, Michael Eager, to seal victory for the hosts in sudden death.
Milos Lujic had opened the scoring for former NSL club South Melbourne on 34 minutes only for Florian Matk to level things up just four minutes later from the penalty spot.
Palm Beach endured a nervous ending to extra-time after going down to 10 men with 12 minutes remaining, Eoghan Morgan having received his marching orders for a second bookable offence, but they hung on to force penalties.
Joining the Sharks in the last 16 were Hume City, who progressed after a 4-3 win over Brisbane Strikers in another match that was settled in extra-time.
Nick Hegarty got the hosts off to the perfect start after just three minutes before Greig Henslee grabbed the equaliser for Brisbane on 23 minutes.
Thats the way it stayed until time added on, when Scot Coulson pounced to seemingly put Brisbane into the next round. But Marcus Shroen popped up at the other end just 60 seconds later to head home and send the tie to extra-time.
Coulson added another in the additional period only for the Strikers to again be pegged back by Shroen’s second of the night and the match appeared to be heading for penalties until Henslee turned from hero to villain, turning into his own net in the 120th minute to send Hume City through.
In the other matches on the night, Heidelberg United eased past Broadmeadow Magic 3-1 while MetroStars SC saw off Blacktown City 2-1.
United shrugged off the distraction of having to stand down Griffin McMaster just an hour before kick-off after the goalkeeper had posted – and later deleted – a tweet calling for AFL star Adam Goodes to be “deported”.
The National Premier League club were three goals to the good before the half-time whistle blew thanks to Jack Petrie (24) Kaine Sheppard (26) and Daniel Heffernan (40). Scott Pettit gave Broadmeadow some faint hope with 16 minutes left on the clock, but it proved nothing more than a consolation.
And at Lily’s Football Centre in Seven Hills, NSW, Blacktown slumped to defeat despite going ahead through Patrick Antlemi’s 35th-minute strike in an opening period the hosts dominated.
MetroStars roared back in the second half and goals by Jonathan Negus and Rocky Callisto were enough to secure victory and a place in the last 16 for the South Australians.
