Avondale starting XI: Manos (GK), Wellsmore, Reid, D’Argenio, Carpenter, Cuba, Trajceski, Tevere, Cianci, Fornaroli, Abdallah

Bench: Gottoli, Marinkovic, Towns, Pisani, Jakupi, Hogan, Mayen

Goals: Carpenter 48’

Preston Lions starting XI: Scott (GK), Nigro, M.Bozinovski, D.Bozinovski, Lauton, Kubilay, Markovski, Schroen, Serdenes, Romero, Bell

Bench: Trenkovski, Necovski, Albano, Mladenis

Goals: Markovski 65’

Only one team needed anything from the game, but you’d have been forgiven for incorrectly guessing which one as Avondale controlled the ball and Preston looked to hit them on the counter.

Blake Carpenter put the home side ahead just after the break with a desperate lunging shot before Jonas Markovski headed Preston level in the 65th minute.

The one concern for Avondale coming out of the match was the injury to Kristian Trajceski, who had to come off before halftime after what looked to be an accidental coming together with Preston’s eventual goalscorer.

“Look, hopefully [it’s] not [serious],” said Trajceski after the match. “But we’ll get a scan—hopefully it’s not [an issue with the] bone, and then we’ll go from there.

“Fingers crossed, [I’m] praying for a miracle I’ll be back for the quarters— [even if] it’s [with] painkillers and a strap, it’ll do for one game.”

Avondale got through all six group matches undefeated.

Luca Tevere whips a cross into the box

“We started [the group stage] a bit slow,” Trajceski admitted, “We’re just improving week by week.

“Obviously we’re super excited to finish first. It’s been positive from the third, fourth game of the group stage. We’ve kind of just kept building. To be undefeated, it’s obviously very good.”

Trajceski believes the fact his side didn’t take it easy just because they had already qualified speaks volumes about their competitive mentality.

“We knew [Preston] were going to come here and try to put pressure on us … [but] we dealt with it. I think the boys were brilliant,” he said.

“The mentality of this group is very good—we want to win every game we play in, regardless if it’s worth three points or [not].

“We knew we have a job to do [and] we want to improve. Each game’s a steppingstone, a building game for us.

“We don’t come here just to have fun—we come to win.”

Next up for Avondale is a match against Moreton City Excelsior, who will make the trip to Victoria after finishing second in Group A behind South Melbourne, and Trajceski says he and his teammates are confident heading into it.

“I think our belief in the group is very, very strong, so we believe we can go the whole way,” he declared.

“We know there’s good teams in this comp, but on our day, at our home ground, we’re pretty good.

“So, anyone who comes here—I think it will be Moreton next week—will find it tough.

“We’re looking forward to it, we’re excited and hopefully we get another win and progress to the semis.”