Hoppers Crossing has powered its way through to the third round of the FFA Cup.
The Reds defended their home turf stoutly against a tough and persistent Old Scotch side to win 2-0 at Grange Reserve on Saturday.
Despite their impressive first-up game in the cup – the Reds entered the competition in the second round – club president Steve Lambrakakis was realistic about his club’s intentions for the remainder of the competition.
“You do have those dreams [of winning the FFA Cup], but I think it’s a little far-fetched from reality,” he said.
“Realistically, we’ve got no vision of winning the FFA Cup. However, it gives you a real opportunity to test yourself against the best out there.
“You get your name in the draw again and get to play anyone. You’ve got to get through some powerhouse teams and the cream of the crop at a national level in Australia.”
While you could write your own ticket on Hoppers Crossing winning the cup, the Reds are hellbent on sticking around in the competition for a while yet.
They yearn for a big scalp and want to feature on television. They dream of a potential date with an A-League club.
That’s the beauty of the competition – it’s only a few steps further until Australia’s biggest teams are involved.
“It’s just great – I love the whole concept,” Lambrakakis said.
“You saw South Springvale two years ago … only one league above us, they played against Melbourne Knights in the Dockerty Cup final and made it into the FFA Cup proper.
“What a dream it would be to get on national TV.”
Hoppers Crossing had to produce its best football to overcome Old Scotch.
The Reds got the perfect start through a goal to Liam McDermott just three minutes in – a lead that stood at half-time.
After the break, Old Scotch moved up a gear and had the Reds’ defence under pressure.
Old Scotch’s best chance came from a free kick that rocketed towards the top left corner, only for Reds goalkeeper Kieron Sharratt to pull off a great save diving to his left.
“In the context of the game, that save was so important,” Lambrakakis said.
“No question they were getting on top of us. They had the better control of the play, and for Kieron to pull that one out – everyone sort of grew another leg after that.”
Hoppers Crossing killed off Old Scotch’s momentum with a goal through Daniel Sweeney in the 70th minute after some nice team build-up play.
The win sets up a third-round meeting for the Reds against Whitehorse United at home this weekend.
Meanwhile, Truganina Hornets took their last breath in the FFA Cup after going down 3-0 to Essendon United at Arndell Park Reserve on Saturday.
