Adelaide Olympic has missed out on an FFA Cup quarter final spot after falling 1-3 at home to Victorian NPL team Hume City in a Rd of 16 FFA Cup clash at the Valo Football Centre on Wednesday evening.
Olympic fans’ optimism for witnessing a famous Cup victory and progressing to the FFA Cup quarter finals was at its height in the 23rd minute when Olympic midfielder Mamadi Kamara set off on an impressive run down the left flank, which left three Hume defenders in his wake, and ended with Kamara firing the home side into the lead before he celebrated his goal with a spectacular somersault.
However the visitors reacted well to going a goal behind and were soon back on level terms after a goal mouth scramble in the 32nd minute ended with Hume striker Marko Delic scoring the equaliser. The score remained that way at the end of the first half following which the home team came out looking to force the issue and winning a series of corners. However Hume’s defence stood firm and it was the Victorian team’s central striker Delic who was to prove Olympic’s nemesis on the night, scoring a second half brace in the space of 10 minutes, to complete his hat trick and give Hume City safe passage into the quarter finals of the FFA Cup.
For Adelaide Olympic, the midweek FFA Cup match against Hume comes amidst a busy schedule of three finals matches in seven days. Coach George Tsonis and his team now turn their attention away from the national stage and back to the South Australian NPL finals series. On Saturday they will face Metro Stars in a sudden death NPL Elimination Final at the Valo Football Centre, the winner progressing to the preliminary final.
In other FFA Cup Rd of 16 matches on the same night, Central Coast Mariners knocked out Brisbane Roar in a penalty shootout, Western Sydney Wanderers crushed Sydney United 7-1, and Brisbane Strikers defeated Manly United 1-0.
With the round of 16 completed, the Quarter Final draw took place and produced the following fixtures involving five remaining A-League teams, two NPL teams from Victoria and one NPL side from Queensland:
- Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets
- Melbourne City v Western Sydney Wanderers
- Brisbane Strikers v Moreland Zebras
- Hume City v Central Coast Mariners