Victory, Macarthur move into Australia Cup semi-finals

An early goal by Macarthur's Valere Germain (centre) proved the match-winner against the Cannons. (Scott Barbour/AAP PHOTOS)

A-League Men sides Melbourne Victory and Macarthur have booked their places in the Australia Cup semi-finals.

They won their quarter-finals on Saturday to join South Melbourne and Adelaide United in the final four.

Making the trip to Queensland, Victory downed giant-killing NPL Queensland outfit Moreton City Excelsior 4-0 at Perry Park in the evening kickoff, hours after Valere Germain had fired the Bulls to a 1-0 win over the Oakleigh Canons at the Home of the Matildas in Melbourne. 

Patrick Kisnorbo’s Victory side will now meet Original Rivarly foes Adelaide United in one of the semis, and South will seek to become just the second side from outside the A-League to advance to the final when they host Macarthur.

Rising to meet a free kick swung in by Daniel Arzani, newly signed striker Nikos Vergos put Victory ahead after just 10 minutes against Excelsior, his second goal in as many games for the club since joining from Greek side Atromitos.   

He had a brace 11 minutes later when he again headed past keeper Nathan Foster, this time after Jordi Valadon dropped a cross on to him at the top of the six-yard box. 

Excelsior had erased a two-goal deficit to upset Perth Glory in the round of 16, but there was to be no such magic this time around, with Vergos turning provider for Kasey Bos to make it 3-0 in the 30th minute.

The semi-professional outfit tried to rally, only to be caught out when Arzani sprung Nishan Velupillay to make it 4-0 on the counter. 

It took the Bulls even less time to take the lead in their clash with Oakleigh, after a sloppy turnover from the hosts allowed Germain to slip in behind their defensive line and open the scoring after just three minutes. 

Playing without first-choice goalkeeper Nick Feely and talisman Joe Guest, the NPLM Victoria side tried to rally but couldn’t find a way to convert several chances. 

When the hosts weren’t shooting wide, they found themselves denied by Bulls custodian Filip Kurto, who stopped Emlyn Wellsmore, Asad Kasumovic and Oliver Kubilay with some fantastic saves. 

The Cannons thought they should have had a penalty against Tomislav Uskok just after the halftime break, only for the Bulls defender to escape the wrath of referee Jack Morgan.

Mile Sterjovski’s outfit had chances of their own to double the lead - newly signed winger Marin Jakolis a notable creative outlet - but in the end they only needed one goal.  

Of the sides left standing, Macarthur, Victory and Adelaide are all former Australia Cup champions, while South were twice NSL Cup winners during the 1990s. 

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