In an extraordinary match, Cobram Victory (Regional), an outfit plying their trade on the Murray River border, has pulled off the upset of the competition by outclassing Whittlesea Zebras (State 1) 3-2 in an epic, unforgettable encounter.
With a gulf in status among the competing outfits, Cobram stayed true to its name by claiming a victory in the dying minutes.
A double from player-coach and former AFC Wimbledon striker Craig Carley in the opening period saw Cobram lead 2-1 at the halftime interval.
The Zebras equalised in the second half before the romance of cup football was brought to life when Mathew Gray popped up to score what would be the winning goal in the 87th minute to put the parochial Cobram crowd into ecstasy.
Speaking to GW Craig Carley said about the win, “Going into the game we knew if they underestimated us and we stuck to our game plan then we’d have a decent chance.”
“Once the game settled down after the first 15 minutes we felt we had a strong chance of making a good go of it.”
With the Zebras’ scalp safely in the bag, Cobram Victory’s cup reverie will live on for another round as they prepare to take on FC Clifton Hill (State 2) in round five.
Asked if the Cup run can continue, Carley replied, “We’re definitely in with a chance. I’ll go to Moreland next week and watch them play and we’ll just see how it goes. But there’s a massive buzz around the whole town at the moment after the last win.
“We’ve got some very good players at this club who could definitely play at a higher level, and we’ve excited of the prospect of seeing how far this cup run can take us.”
Considering Cobram beat Benalla in the league 13-0 on the weekend, who’s to say this cup fairytale can’t continue for at least another round.
Courtesy of Goal Weekly – Follow Robbie on Twitter
Evan Askew
Guest
So a team from a small country town on the border with NSW has taken out the once mighty Brunswick Juventus. 1985 NSL champions. Magic, THis is excelent. THis is what cup football is all about and you got to love it.
Pops MacDonald
Guest
wtf
Bondy
Guest
Nice work Robbie. With the Zebra's scalp safely in the bag, also with Craig Carley saying we definitely have players that could play at a higher level is encouraging. Robbie i don't mean to shoot holes in your article but a double - two goals scored by an individual in a game can also be known as a brace . N.S.W.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Oh Robbie ... I read that headline & story with the same anticipation and excitement that normally accompanies the underdog upset win in the English FA Cup. What makes the story even bigger is that, from my observations of people who have come from Cobram and the area around Cobram, is that the town & region would not be considered hotbeds of Football fervour. But, the locals love their town and I'm sure the name Cobram Victory will be resonating in the town's pubs. An example of how Football in Australia will expand its reach into non-traditional Football towns in rural Australia ... when you have a fantastic sporting product there is absolutely, no need for spin marketing or recruiting players who cannot play the game. PS: If Cobram's game against Clifton Hill is being played in Melbourne ... I'll be there for sure.