- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Sydney United 58 FC have become the first National Premier League club to reach the Australia Cup final, stunning Brisbane Roar with an extra-time 3-2 semi-final triumph.
A superb volley from United’s Glen Trifiro in the 105th minute was the match-winner against the A-League’s Roar in Sunday’s semi.
United will play the October 1 cup final against the winner of Wednesday’s night’s semi-final between the NPL’s Oakleigh Cannons and A-League’s Macarthur FC.
United twice came from a goal down against the Roar, ensuring a slice of history as the first non A-League club to reach a cup final since the competition’s inception in 2014.
“You can see how much it means to our proud club,” Trifiro told Network 10 amid wild celebrations among the 3,177-strong crowd at Sydney United Sports Centre.
“This is huge for our club … we march on.”
Trifiro’s extra-time winner came after an audacious mid-air side-heel flick from teammate Chris Payne played him into space.
Trifiro swung a sweet volley into the net, capping a remarkable comeback from a club which finished a lowly eighth in NSW’s NPL this year.
The Roar went ahead in 13th minute when Riku Danzaki scored from close-range after a slick cut-back pass from Henry Hore.
But United hit back in the 24th minute when they turned their first foray into their attacking area into an equaliser from Matt Bilic, who scored with a powerful header after a pinpoint cross from Taisei Kaneko.
The opening half finished on a flashpoint: Brisbane were awarded a penalty when United defender Jordan Roberts was struck on the hand trying to evade a Charlie Austin cross.
Roar captain Jay O’Shea’s shot was saved by United goalkeeper Danijel Nizic, diving full-stretch to his left, leaving scores locked 1-1 at halftime.
Nizic couldn’t prevent Brisbane taking a 2-1 lead in the 63rd minute when the Roar’s English import Austin scored from the penalty spot.
Austin crashed his spot-kick high and straight, giving Nizic no chance, after Brisbane’s Hore was felled in the box by a mistimed challenge from United’s Kaneko.
But the Roar’s lead was short-lived with United again squaring scores just eight minutes later via substitute Patrick Antelmi.
Antelmi turned some 15 metres from goal and fired a left-footer which deflected off the lower leg of Roar’s Anton Mlinaric into the net.
The 2-2 scoreline remained until fulltime, setting up Trifiro’s dramatic extra-time winner.
© AAP
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.