Melbourne Victory emphatically sent defending FFA Cup champions Adelaide United out of the competition after securing an impressive 3-1 quarter-final win at AAMI Park on Tuesday night.
A moment of brilliance from Gui Finkler opened the scoring for the hosts in typical fashion from a set piece, as his perfectly struck free-kick nestled into the top corner, leaving gloveman Eugene Galekovic rooted to the spot. The Victory continued it’s push for a second against a sluggish United side and the dominance came to the fore with Kostas Barbarouses’ tap-in on the stroke of half-time, latching on to Fahid Ben Khalfallah’s inviting cross.
Besart Berisha chould have put the result beyond doubt early on, but his usual prolific form was elusive, as Galekovic blocked the striker’s tame shot. The Reds played with more verve and purpose after the interval, reducing the deficit when Daniel Georgievski nudged Craig Goodwin inside the box and the ensuing penalty was successfully converted by Marcelo Carrusca on 78 minutes. However, Berisha doused any chance of a comeback as the Victorians were awarded a penalty of their own, following a blatant foul on Archie Thompson.
Although, the triumph was somewhat marred as club icon and A-League top scorer Thompson was stretchered-off the pitch with what appeared to be a serious knee injury in the final moments of the match.
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