Avondale starting XI: Manos, Courtney-Perkins, Reid, Brice, Wellsmore, Tevere, Towns, Trajceski, Valentini, Aguek, Zinni

Bench: D’Argenio, Ott, Kur, Carpenter, Cuba, Mayen

Goals: Zinni 9’, Tevere 45+1’, Aguek 76’

APIA Leichhardt starting XI: Kalac, Symons, Kouta, Kelly, Fong, Caspers, Farinella, Monge, Kambayashi, Ortiz, Stewart

Bench: Jordan, Court, Kasalovic, Denmead, Flottmann, Ucchino, Parkes

Goals: Kambayashi 24’

Possession was roughly equal, with the home side creating 16 scoring chances to APIA’s 15.

Stefan Zinni put the hosts ahead with a shot into the far post in the 9th minute after being put through on goal by a perfectly weighted pass from Luca Tevere.

APIA equalised 15 minutes later through Seiya Kambayashi, who was left unmarked at the back post to finish off a dangerous low ball across goal.

Tevere put the Avengers back in front just before the break with a clever free kick from just outside the box that went under the wall. Moments earlier, he had hit the post from a free kick in a similar position.

Former AC Milan and Socceroos goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac was among the spectators to support his son, Oliver, in goals for APIA. The Milanista had a front-row seat to Oliver’s penalty save in the 53rd minute to keep APIA in the match. Manyluek Aguek took the spot kick and decided to shoot down the middle. Kalac, who dived to his left, was able to get a foot to the ball and keep it out.

Aguek was not to be prevented from scoring, however, as a brilliant run down the left followed by a pinpoint cross by substitute Blake Carpenter found him at the edge of the six-yard box to comfortably side-foot the ball into the back of the net.

The win means Avondale will play Brisbane City next Wednesday night in the quarterfinals, again at Green Gully Reserve.

A healthy crowd packed into Green Gully Reserve to watch the Australia Cup Round of 16 tie

Avondale coach Zoran Markovski was pleased with the way his side started the match against APIA.

“I thought we started with a real high intensity in the first 20 minutes and played a good brand of football,” he said, before complimenting the opposition:

“I think they’ve been the benchmark in Sydney for a number of years, always in the top three or four and obviously competing for the [NPL NSW] title this year. Hopefully we can meet them again in the finals of the [Australian] Championship, because I think it was a good turnout yesterday – it was a good spectacle for the people.”

Two players Markovski described as “standouts” were Luca Tevere and Kristian Tajcevski. “Their movement off the ball, and even with the ball, was putting APIA on the backfoot,” he said.

“At the back end of the first half, [they] really took control of the game. Obviously, Luca scored a great freekick just before half time, but the way they ran the show in midfield … [along with] Yitay Towns as a six was exceptional.”

For Markovski, the one negative of the night was the way they conceded. “Our body positioning was pretty poor in that goal,” he explained.

“Once you’re facing your own goal as a defender, you’re in big trouble. Hopefully we’ll learn and grow from that mistake and kick on against Brisbane.”

Markovski was the club’s assistant coach in 2019 - the only other time they reached this stage of the competition. The possibility of going beyond the record would, according to him, mean a great deal.

“For Avondale FC to be in the semifinal would be one of the biggest achievements of my coaching career.”