The third round of the revolutionary Mirabella Cup knock-out competition commenced last week with five of the fourteen fixtures completed.
Due to the commencement of the State, Provisional and Metropolitan leagues on the initial weekend of April, all remaining Mirabella Cup ties throughout the year will take place as mid-week fixtures.
The remaining nine cup ties will be played throughout the next two weeks. The winners will then proceed to the Second Stage of the Mirabella Cup where the seeded VPL and State League One outfits will be drawn into the competition.
Tuesday night played host to the clash between Forest Rangers (Regional) and Geelong (State 2). The fixture represented an immense division in class between the two Wimmera South Coast outfits. Geelong easily accounted for the Rangers 9-1 in what was a brutal display of football.
Moving across to the North-Eastern Region the newly merged Box Hill United (State 2) travelled to Old Scotch (State 2). In an all state league affair, the build up to the match didn’t disappoint. With the scores at 1-1 following the initial 90 minutes, the game went into extra time. As a result, no team could prevail and a penalty shoot-out was attended.
After 120 minutes of reverting football, Box Hill United triumphed through to the next stage of the competition by claiming a 4-2 victory in the shoot-out. Old Scotch will be leave the competition feeling aggrieved; however they should be proud of their efforts on the night.
In the Western Zone, North Sunshine Eagles (Prov 1) took on their higher league opposition in Williamstown (State 3). While only one division separates the two outfits an upset was realised with the Eagles claiming the bragging rights with a hard fought 1-0 victory. A remarkable achievement for the team who ply’s their trade in the Provisional Leagues of Victorian football.
In the Southern Zone South Springvale (State 2) welcomed Peninsula Strikers (State 3) to the Grange Reserve. The game produced moments of class and high tempo football amongst the state league counter-parts. However, South Springvale illustrated its superiority by claiming a well deserved 3-1 triumph.
The final mid-week cup fixture saw Moreland Wolves (Prov 3) take on the highly rated Hume United (State 3), who started off proceedings as hot favourites. In a battle which was reminiscent of the David and Goliath encounter, the unsung hero was not meant to be on this occasion.
Hume United exhibited why they are plying their trade as a state league outfit by convincingly overcoming the Wolves 4-1.
Cup football represents clubs with the opportunity of testing their strength of character, football prowess and willingness to succeed against opposition which are unfamiliar in the usual league format. Playing against teams from unfamiliar surroundings in a do or die battle is what makes the essence of cup football a romance in itself.
Throughout the initial weeks of the competition we have witnessed many nail biting games, tension, upsets and dreams come into fruition as clubs dare to dream of competing against the power-house outfits in Victorian football.
For some clubs, this illusion has come to life with procession into the next stage of the competition. For the remaining eighteen clubs, one more triumph and the reverie will grow to be authentic.
Third Round Mirabella Cup Results:
Forest Rangers (R) 1-9 Geelong (S2)
Old Scotch (S3) 1-1 (2-4 Penalties) Box Hill United (S2)
North Sunshine Eagles (P1) 1-0 Williamstown (S3)
South Springvale (S2) 3-1 Peninsula Strikers (S3)
Moreland Wolves (P3) 1-4 Hume United (S3)
Third Round Mirabella Cup Remaining Fixtures:
Mon 11 Apr 7:00pm Moreland City (S2) v Melbourne Tornado (P1) – DISC Pitch 2
Tue 12 Apr 7:30pm Doncaster Rovers (S2) v Ashburton (P2) – Anderson Park
Wed 13 Apr 7:00pm Heidelberg Starts (P3) v La Trobe Uni (S3) – DISC Pitch 3
Wed 13 Apr 7:30pm Mornington (S3) v Dandenong City (S2) – Monterey Reserve
Thu 14 Apr 7:30pm Epping City (P2) v Banyule City (S2) – DISC Pitch 1
Tue 19 Apr 7:00pm Corio (P1) v Ballarat Red Devils (S2) – Morshead Park
Thu 21 Apr 7:30pm South Yarra (P1) v Middle Park FC (P3) – DISC Pitch 1
Yarraville Glory (S3) v Old Melburnians (P1) – To be confirmed
Keilor Park (S3) v Westgate (S2) – To be confirmed
Eastern:
Mooroolbark (P1) & Waverly Wanderers (S3) have qualified for the next stage.
South-East:
Bayside Argonauts (P2) & Kingston City (S3) have qualified for the next stage.
Goulburn:
Tatura (R) & Twin City (R) have qualified for the next stage.
Robbie Di Fabio is a writer for Goal Weekly (Courtesy of Goal Weekly)
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