The Mirabella Cup has been a riveting affair since its introduction in March; we’ve witnessed an array of exhilaration, drama and upsets in the unique environment of cup football.
Teams have challenged and prospered, others have seen dreams come to fruition. Of note, Cobram Victory’s memorable cup voyage saw the regional outfit prevail against highly fancied clubs and ultimately clash with former NSL champions and current VPL affiliate Melbourne Knights.
Although their run was brought to halt, their inspiration captivated many throughout the Victorian football community and promoted the underdog tag within cup football.
After a flurry of cup fixtures, the Mirabella Cup has truly reached the business end of the tournament.
With the Melbourne based A-League outfits barred from participating under duress from the FFA, the subsequent quarter-finals had to be modified due to the unforseen circumstances.
It was an unfortunate situation, as many football fans were vastly looking forward to the prospect of A-League and community football combining to play competitive fixtures.
This notion will hopefully come about when the proposed FFA Cup is introduced. There are aspirations of this occurring next year; however without sponsors or relevant planning, the wait may be a little longer.
The six remaining clubs will be split into two groups, comprising three teams. Each team will be assigned one home and one away fixture, whereby the top two teams in each group will progress to the semi-final stage.
Pool A is Northcote City, Oakleigh Cannons and Springvale White Eagles. Pool B is Green Gully Cavaliers, Hume City and Melbourne Knights.
Pool B Match 1: Green Gully vs Hume City
With the finale of the home and away season coming to a closure over the weekend, the mid-week cup tie would have probably played second fiddle on their priority list, given the evenness of the VPL competition, where clubs were fighting for respective finals positions.
Nevertheless, it was business as usual for the VPL affiliates, who have had successful seasons to date. Hume City have showcased their championship credentials despite losing on the last day of the home and away season in the VPL.
Green Gully had a rather lacklustre start to their championship defence, dawdling at the bottom half of the table; however a remarkable resurgence in form saw them finish outstandingly, and take out the minor premiership in the VPL.
The opening half was a competitive affair, with both outfits illustrating their intent to attack but to no avail.
The second half maintained the attacking mind-set. With compact defensive lines and a few squandered chances, it was looking as though a solitary goal could very well separate the two outfits. Green Gully seized their opportunity and took the advantage with a nicely timed strike.
The win put the team in a healthy stead to proceed to the semi-finals.
This week’s fixtures:
The quarter-finals series continues this week with two fixtures taking place on Wednesday night. The Pool B encounter between Hume City and Melbourne Knights will be vastly important for Hume.
Given their loss in the opening match, anything but a win will more than likely send them out of the Mirabella Cup.
Meanwhile, the opening Pool A match will see Oakleigh Cannons play host to the recently relegated Springvale White Eagles at Jack Edwards Reserve.
Follow Robert on Twitter @RobertDiFabio. Courtesy of Goal Weekly.
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