On 8 June, the ACT’s O’Connor Knights secured their debut qualification for the Australia Cup Final Rounds after defeating the Monaro Panthers in the Capital Football Federation Cup Final at Deakin Stadium. O’Connor has drawn 2022 Australia Cup winners Macarthur for their inaugural Round of 32 venture. It seems appropriate that Front Page Football provides some background on the O’Connor Knights ahead of the clash tomorrow night.
O'Connor Knights SC: 2024 Capital Football Men's Federation Cup champions. (Image: Fotonic)
O’Connor Knights Soccer Club was founded in 1997 as Canberra’s second Croatian-backed football club. They are located in the city’s inner-northern suburbs, juxtaposed to their sister club, Canberra Croatia, in the inner-south. The Knights have spent most of their existence in the territory's second tier, exiting the top flight in 2009 and not returning until their promotion into the Capital Football NPL for the 2022 season. Their recent Federation Cup title is the club’s second, having previously lifted the trophy in 2008.
Drawing A-League Men opposition in their first hurdle of a national competition no doubt provides an exciting, if daunting, opportunity for O’Connor Knights. The Australia Cup has hosted many fixtures now in which NPL clubs have succeeded in toppling A-Leagues opposition. However, the gulf between the professional league and the ACT's premier competition has often proved itself too big to overcome: to date, not one Capital Football team has defeated an A-League Men side in the competition (Tuggeranong United and Canberra Olympic both lost their matches against Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC respectively).
Indeed, clubs from Canberra and its surrounding areas often struggle to surpass the Round of 32, with the previous six regional representatives all being eliminated from the Final Rounds in their first match.
Macarthur only began participating in the Australia Cup in 2021 and, as previously mentioned, were champions the following year. However, we must not forget that the reigning champions were surprisingly eliminated in the Round of 32 by NPL South Australia outfit Campbelltown City in last year’s tournament.
Ahead of their imminent clash, Macarthur is now nearly three months into their off-season break after finishing the A-League Men season in fifth and being eliminated from the Finals Series at the first hurdle. Meanwhile, in the Capital Football NPL, O’Connor Knights sit in third after 15 games (of 21). The Knights' most recent fixture was a 3-2 away win over the Monaro Panthers, the same side they beat in the Federation Cup Final, with two goals in injury time helping them complete a stunning late comeback.
Some players to watch out for at O'Connor include Jackson Paesler, Aiosa Ihergie, and Patrick O'Rourke, all of whom scored in the qualifying Federation Cup Final. But Macarthur should be most wary of Michael Adams, who is leading O'Connor's goalscoring charts this season, with 11 to his name in all competitions thus far in 2024.
READ MORE ON FPF
MORE AUSTRALIA CUP CONTENT: A Millar's Tale: Cam ready for Moreton City Excelsior's Cup test
O’Connor and Macarthur are set to face off tomorrow night, Tuesday, 30 July, at 7:30 pm AEST at GIO Stadium Canberra. The Knights wanted to play the fixture at a smaller venue but were unable to do so due to a lack of suitable stadiums in Canberra and surrounding areas.
Click here to buy tickets for the match, which will also be streamed live and free on 10 Play.
댓글