Round Five of the FFA cup is split over the next couple of weeks starting on Tuesday with a number of cup ties.
The hills will come alive with the sound of South Melbourne fans on Tuesday evening cheering their team on as they travel to the Dandenongs to take on State League 3 club Monbulk Ranges SC in the fifth round of the FFA Cup.
Most South fans will expect a comfortable Lakesiders’ victory following their 2-0 Rd 4 FFA Cup win last weekend over NPL 2 club Eastern Lions. Coach Taylor’s team selection will depend on how the team emerges from yesterday’s grand final replay against Oakleigh Cannons in the league competition.
The same applies to the Cannons who back up on Tuesday for a Rd 5 Cup match at home to State League club Western Suburbs. Both teams meet after big Rd 4 wins last weekend with the Cannons putting four past NPL 2 club Brunswick City and Western Suburbs firing six past Westgate FC in a 6-0 thrashing.
Another fifth-round FFA Cup Hellenic derby takes place on Tuesday when Box Hill United hosts South Springvale with Box Hill posting their first win of the season in last weekend’s 5-1 Rd 4 cup win over Corio SC. The win came as a relief to the Wembley Park team which has struggled for both goals and wins this season.
Box Hill’s opponents this Tuesday, Aris, had a fairytale cup run in 2014 when it made the Dockerty Cup final and then progressed to the national stage of the FFA Cup. Last weekend Aris defeated fellow State League club Warragul United 3-1 to progress to the fifth round.
Last season’s FFA Cup quarter finalists Bentleigh Greens will face struggling NPL 2 club Richmond FC away on Tuesday night. The Greens had to fight all the way to overcome a dogged Dandenong Thunder last Saturday evening to progress to the fifth round.
NPL 1 surprise packet Kingston City is also in midweek Cup action hosting State League club North Caulfield on Wednesday evening. Nick Tolios’ men will be backing up from yesterday’s tough league encounter with Pascoe Vale. Kingston will be lucky not to suffer a similar fate to Pascoe Vale which was eliminated by State League club Knox City in the last round.
Last weekend, Kingston had to come from behind to defeat Murray United 4-1 thanks to goals to Sean McIlroy and a Damian Iaconis hat-trick after the latter came on as a sub in the 60th minute.
North Caulfield sprung a surprise 1-0 win over NPL 2 club Goulburn Valley Suns away from home with the Shepparton side receiving three red cards in the final five minutes.