Green Gully has moved through to the last eight of the FFA Cup after a dominant display in a 3-1 win over Melbourne Knights at Knights Stadium on Tuesday night.
It was the Knights who started the more positively on home turf, with their early incisions rewarded with the game’s opening goal through Stipo Andrijasevic.
A quick thinking Andrijasevic pounced on a loose ball after a goal mouth scramble to poke home for the lead in the 23rd minute.
At 1-0 and with the Knights fans coming to life in the Mark Viduka Stand on a chilly night, Green Gully hit back five minutes later to silence the crowd through a spectacular Liam Boland header.
Boland attacked the cross and powered his header off the underside of the bar and it bounced inches over the line.
While a succession of corners were the Knights best chances to score, Green Gully began to find their groove with some nice build up play through Jay Davies, Callum Richardson and Evan Christodoulou.
Where the Knights forwards were non-existent in general play at one end, the Cavaliers front line of Boland and Nicholas Krousoratis was a constant threat at the other.
It seemed only a matter of time that Green Gully would take control of the contest and that happened just before half time.
Krousoratis was denied a one-on-one opportunity to score by the out-stretched arms of Knights goalkeeper Fraser Chalmers.
A minute later, Chalmers was powerless stop Krousoratis from giving the Cavaliers a deserved lead.
Krousoratis picked up the ball outside the box, did a jig to wrong foot the defender and then cut inside to power the ball to Chalmers’ left to make it 2-1 at half time.
The start of the second half was a tad scrappy from both sides.
Green Gully dictated play for the most part and were comfortable in defence.
The Cavs backline, led superbly by veteran Rodrigo Vargas, absorbed any pressure put on by Knights midfielders James McGarry and Jason Hicks, as well as the odd penalty box penetration from Andrijasevic.
With few clear cut chances to speak of with 11 men, there was no way the Knights were going to pose a threat when they went a man down after Damien Miskulin was handed a second yellow card after a challenge from behind.
Shortly after, Green Gully made the numerical advantage count when Davies was clipped from behind in the box and awarded a penalty, which
Boland expertly dispatched from the spot to make it 3-1.
Boland almost had a hat-trick, but a delightful cross from substitute Kliment Taseski was just out of reach.
Green Gully can look forward to a date with Canberra Olympic in the FFA Cup quarter finals, while the Knights can start planning for next season.
FFA Cup
Round of 16
Melbourne Knights 1 lt Green Gully Cavaliers 3 at Knights Stadium
Quarter finals
Melbourne City v Western Sydney Wanderers
Canberra Olympic v Green Gully Cavaliers
Bentleigh Greens v Melbourne Victory
Blacktown City v Sydney FC
