Football, bloody hell! Moreton City Excelsior overcame a two-goal deficit after just ten minutes to topple Perth Glory 3-2 and complete a comeback for the ages, becoming only the third NPL Queensland side to defeat A-League Men opposition in the Australia Cup, and, in doing so, progressed to the quarter-finals.
Moreton City Excelsior players celebrate progressing to the Australia Cup quarter-finals. (Image: Ellaa_Media)
An upset had seemed far from likely as Zach Lisolajski and Jacob Muir took advantage of slack Moreton City Excelsior marking to give Perth Glory a two-goal lead inside ten minutes.
Moreton City did not allow the setback to upset them, though. They continued to press their opponents and force errors. Their persistence was rewarded just five minutes later, as Marquez Walters, a frequent scorer in the NPL Queensland this season, beat Glory goalkeeper Oliver Sail at his near post to give the home side a vital lifeline.
Walters would then see a header disallowed for offside before Excelsior levelled things up on the half-hour mark in some style. Winger Ben Holliday—last year's NPL Queensland Young Player of the Season—delivered a spectacular moment of brilliance by cutting in from the left flank and unleashing a powerful right-footed shot that rocketed past Sail, sending the 1,500-strong crowd into raptures.
The drama didn’t end there. Just before half-time, Glory midfielder Adam Bugarija received a second yellow card, leaving Perth with only ten men. With the advantage of an extra player for the entire second half, Moreton City was primed for a decisive second act.
Ten minutes into the second half, the visitors almost took the lead as striker Adam Taggart seized on a wayward pass to charge through and be one-on-one with goalkeeper Nathan Foster. However, the Excelsior stopper was equal to the chance, pushing the shot around the post in a critical intervention.
It was a pivotal play in the game and not lost on Moreton’s Head Coach Cameron Millar, who spoke to Front Page Football post-match.
“That save from Taggart was as good as any moment in that match, and he (Foster) helped get us get over the line tonight,” Millar said.
Moreton City's second-half patience was rewarded with just four minutes of normal time left, as this time Holliday delivered an inch-perfect cross that was emphatically despatched by the head of substitute Joe Scott.
The full-time whistle sparked jubilant scenes both on the pitch and in the stands. Due to floodlighting requirements, the game had to be played at Perry Park, the ‘spiritual home’ of Brisbane football, instead of Excelsior's Wolter Park.
It was a deserved victory for the home side, and Millar, at just 30 years of age, effusively praised his side.
“Tonight was our opportunity to show everyone what we are all about on the national stage," he said.
“We wanted to get on the front foot in possession, be aggressive, and play off the back of that.”
Glory had been involved in a nine-goal thriller with Melbourne City in the previous round and won 4-2 against Brisbane Roar in their A-League Men's play-off in Darwin.
New boss David Zdrillic cut his coaching teeth with Red Bull Leipzig and has promised high-octane, attacking play for the Perth faithful this upcoming season.
However, some open spaces were left for the home side to exploit, evident even before Bugarija was sent off.
Millar noted post-match that he had identified it as an area his side could try and take advantage of.
“We knew we could get at them in transitions; if we were good enough to change sides, we thought they could be vulnerable; we had a couple of good moments in that first half and executed really well,” he explained.
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As Millar's stock continues to rise, he will now focus on preparing his team for an NPL Semi-Final clash against Peninsula Power this Sunday night. The aim is to secure a place in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium and go one step further than last year when they narrowly lost the decider 1-0 to the Gold Coast Knights.
Then another A-League Men opponent in the shape of Melbourne Victory will await Excelsior in the Australia Cup quarter-finals.
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