The first match-day of the 2024 Australia Cup Round of 16 delivered two high-scoring clashes as the competition continued to be a must-watch.
Macarthur FC came from behind to get past a lively Newcastle Jets side, while an inspired performance from Marko Jankovic got South Melbourne through against Olympic FC.
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Newcastle Jets FC - 3 (Kosta Grozos 14’, Mark Natta 20’, Thomas Aquilina 68’)
Macarthur FC - 4 (Valere Germain 48’ 54’, Marin Jakolis 72’ 75’)
Newcastle Jets and Macarthur played out an exhilarating seven-goal game, with the visitors advancing to the Quarter-Finals.
The Jets flew into a two-goal lead by halftime, with Kosta Grozos firing in a penalty within 15 minutes to get the scoring started.
In the 20th minute, Mark Natta streamed through the middle of the pitch and lashed the ball with his left foot into the roof of the net to double the advantage.
The Bulls wasted no time after the break in getting back into the match. Valere Germain tapped the ball in from close range following a frantic set of shooting chances.
Macarthur soon restored parity, and it was Germain again, this time picking out the top of the goal in the 54th minute.
However, a right-sided raid for Newcastle 68 minutes in saw them hit the front again as Thomas Aquilina slid a low shot into the left of the goal.
Four minutes later, Marin Jakolis bagged his first competitive goal for Macarthur in style to equalise, bending a right-footed effort from the left edge of the box into the top right corner.
Jakolis executed another superb effort to win the match for the Bulls three minutes after that. Germain picked out the winger in the left of the area, where he cut inside and found the far side of the goal.
Braces to Germain and Jakolis proved the difference for the away side as they advanced to the Quarter-Finals.
South Melbourne FC - 3 (Marko Jankovic 26’ 91’, Ross Archibald 90’)
Olympic FC - 2 (Linden Farr 36’, Lathan Dunn 42’)
In the later kick-off on Sunday, South Melbourne edged out Olympic FC 3-2 in a match that went into extra time.
South Melbourne took the lead 26 minutes in when Maximilian Mikkola launched a long throw from the left touchline into the box. The ball dropped at Marko Jankovic’s feet, who drove a shot past Matthew Lugo in the Olympic goal.
Olympic restored parity after a series of promising opportunities 10 minutes later. Lathan Dunn whipped in a right-sided cross that came through to Linden Farr at the far post, where the winger bundled home.
The game was stopped for an extended period as a thunderstorm gathered overhead at Lakeside Stadium.
Dunn turned scorer soon after the resumption to put Olympic into the lead. He sprinted down the right and lifted a delicate finish over Javier Lopez to give the visitors a halftime advantage.
South Melbourne spent the second half putting their opponents under pressure as they searched for an equaliser.
They had a golden chance to equalise 86 minutes in when Harrison Sawyer earned a penalty. The forward took responsibility but saw his low effort saved by Lugo.
The goal finally arrived in the 90th minute when the ball came to Ross Archibald on the edge of the box, and he sweetly hit a shot high into the goal.
Despite South Melbourne restricting Olympic to only two shots on target — both of which they scored — the game went into extra time.
Within the first few minutes of extra time, South Melbourne took the lead. Jankovic stood over a wide right free-kick near halfway. He spotted Lugo off his line and curled his long-range strike over the goalkeeper and into the goal.
The home side saw out the rest of extra time to secure their place in the Quarter-Finals.
