Green Gully have done the unthinkable.
The Cavaliers have beaten A-League opponents Central Coast Mariners 2-1 in a David-versus-Goliath FFA Cup round-of-32 battle at a chilly Green Gully Reserve tonight.
Two goals in the last five minutes from centre forward Liam Boland – one a little controversial and the other simply jaw-dropping – saw the Cavaliers come from the behind to pinch a miraculous victory.
Boland will steal the headlines, but this was a win created by Cavaliers coach Arthur Papas, who made a number of bold attacking substitutions late in the game, which paid handsome dividends.
Boland’s first goal in the 85th minute was lucky, scoring from an offside position after captain Daniel Jones threw his left foot on a crossed ball and it ricocheted off Boland’s leg into the net.
There was no luck involved in Boland’s second in the dying seconds.
In fact, you would have to travel to long way to see a better match-winning strike.
Boland saw Mariners goalkeeper Ivan Necevski off his line and unleashed an incredible left footed 40-metre strike that sailed over Necevski’s out-stretched arms and into the back of the net.
Necevski was otherwise brilliant for the Mariners, time and again denying the Cavaliers.
It took an offside goal and a piece of pure brilliance for Necevski to be beaten.
Green Gully deserve credit for hanging in.
The Cavaliers were undoubtedly the better side in the second half and finished with more shots on goal – 17 to 12.
They had to make do with reserve goalkeeper Sebastien Mattei, who filled in admirably for the suspended Rani Dowisha.
An 11th hour bid to sign Ante Covic as a guest player was denied.
Attacking midfielder Jay Davies was electrifying in the first half for the Cavaliers, but went quiet after the break.
Had Davies not been so influencial in the first 45 minutes, there is a chance the Cavaliers might have been deeper in the mire than one-goal down at half time.
Others took over in the second half with Anthony Ragusa a livewire until he hobbled off injured, George Lambadaridis outstanding in the centre of the park and delivering with precision from the dead ball, Mathew Reid was a constant aerial threat and Luke Walker setting the tone with his physicality in defensive midfield.
Just when we thought the Cavaliers might have exhausted all their avenues to goal, up stepped Boland, who had been quiet to that point, to deliver the knock-out punches.
It was a magnificent night for Green Gully, one that will go down as unforgettable in the club’s rich history.
The question remains: how far can these giant-killing Cavaliers go?
