Australia Cup flashback: Brisbane Strikers shock new-look Phoenix
Brisbane Strikers had been unable to make the Round of 32 of the Australia Cup for three years but boy did they return with a triumphant bang in 2019.
They took on a new look Wellington Phoenix side on August 7 at a packed Perry Park in Brisbane, and they became the eighth National Premier League side to defeat A-League Men opposition.
Truly, the magic of the cup was in full effect when as 1,612 people witnessed a historic match for the Strikers, and one that springboarded their run in the Australia Cup to the semi-finals.
Strikers cruise to Round of 32
Coach Owen Baker’s side had been a little inconsistent in the Queensland NPL in 2019, however what they had been able to do consistently was score goals.
There weren’t many deadlier strikers in the NPL that season than Strikers leading scorer Andrew Pengelly.
The Brisbane hit-man was a threat from anywhere in the box and he was in hot form coming in to this match – he scored nine goals in Brisbane’s 12-1 NPL Queensland demolition of Sunshine Coast two weeks prior.
The young forward's hat-trick of hat-tricks brought his season tally for the season to 32 at that point, would he go on to score against the Phoenix?
Japanese import Hiroki Omori was another talent within the team, and of course they had Bon Scott in goals – some of his saves left opposition players thunderstruck…sorry about that.
On the road to the Round of 32, Strikers defeated Souths United 10-1 at home, Lions FC 3-1 after extra time, Eastern Suburbs 4-1 away from home and Gold Coast Knights 5-1 on the road.
New look Phoenix ready to shake off former woes
It had been a huge off-season of change at Wellington Phoenix and Ufuk Talay had assembled a new-look side for the season ahead.
The Kiwi club went into the new campaign with freshly appointed captain Steven Taylor leading the rearguard and a new-look forward line, pairing Ulises Davila and David Ball.
There were a few Nix players remaining from the previous season’s magical campaign however would they be haunted by the 1-0 Round of 32 loss to NPL Victoria club Bentleigh Greens.
This was to be Talay’s first match in charge at the club, and he named a very young squad, the team had an average age of 21 in fact.
But it did feature future Socceroo Cameron Devlin, Liberato Cacace and that ever-reliable striker Ball.
Brisbane take control in front of home fans
The hosts took an unlikely lead 25 minutes into the first half when Omori drove a shot hard and low from the edge of the box.
Phoenix did have chances to equalise, but the score remained 1-0 at the break.
The Strikers were in dreamland soon into the second half when Pengelly controlled the ball and arrowed his finish through a sea of bodies to make it 2-0 from a corner on 54 minutes.
Was it ever in doubt that Pengelly would grab a goal in this match, perhaps not, but the Strikers being 2-0 up certainly was a shock.
However, the young Phoenix side were still creating chances, and they weren’t ready to roll over just yet.
Wellington get it back on level terms
Phoenix mounted a fierce comeback kick-started by a goal from Devlin with half an hour to play – he finished with aplomb with a left foot strike inside the area.
Ten minutes later the scores were level as Callum McCowatt shot with power from the edge, leaving Scott with no chance.
The remainder of the match was played on tenterhooks as neither side wanted to let slip an opportunity for the winner, so extra time was required.
In the first half of extra time, Phoenix were handed the chance to snatch when a handball in the box led to a penalty which Ball stepped up to take.
His strike, whilst powerful, was brilliantly saved by Scott in goal and the crowd celebrated like it was a goal for the Strikers.
There would be limited chances in the second half of extra time and penalties were needed to split the difference.
Shootout sends Phoenix home empty handed
Cacace scored the first penalty for Phoenix and Pengelly replied for the Strikers. At 1-1, Ball stepped up to the spot and once again was unable to convert, this time skying the ball over the bar.
Omori put Strikers 2-1 up, and then Scott saved All White Callum McCowatt’s shot to put the Strikers well in control.
Zach Maltby converted for the hosts as did Alex Rufer for Phoenix, leaving the score at 3-2 and Fraser Hill at the spot to take the potential defining penalty.
Hills stepped up to the mark, smashed it into the top left and secured the victory and send the home side through to the Australia Cup Round of 16 for the third time in the club’s history.
After the match, Strikers Head Coach Owen Baker said: “What a game. It had everything in the end there and the boys held their nerves to win the penalty shoot-out, so it was quite amazing.
“You can’t play against an A-League team and defend with nine or ten people, you need eleven. So, it was a remarkable effort by the lads.”
What happened after
The scenes at Perry Park after Hills penalty hit the back of the net were a joy to watch as fans, staff and players all celebrated together.
It was the start to a memorable cup run, which saw the Strikers progress all the way to the Semi Finals, where they finally fell to Melbourne City.
Their Round of 16 win over Manly United, and the Quarter Final victory over Moreland Zebras meant they were the first Queensland side to qualify for the Australia Cup Semi Finals.
Pengelly would finish that season with 41 goals in the NPL Queensland and 11 in eight matches in the Australia Cup – a season that earned him a pro-contract with Lions City Sailors in the Singapore Premier League.
For the Wellington Phoenix, they went on to have a strong A-League campaign, finishing in third place before being knocked out in the Elimination Final by Perth Glory.
