Fairytale cup run for Maccabi Hakoah

MACCABI Hakoah Sydney City East FC continued on its dream run this season as the club defeated the Northern Tigers 5-1, achieving glory in the Waratah Cup quarter-final, and also securing a spot in the inaugural Westfield FFA tournament.

The comprehensive victory at a wet Hensley Athletic Field last Thursday evening gained Maccabi entry into the FFA Cup, where even as the lowest-ranked club in the knockout competition, Maccabi will face foes at the caliber of A-League teams Melbourne Victory or Brisbane Roar.

Five-different goal scorers from an inspired Maccabi Hakoah side, led by their striker Llyod Owusu, ensured the win early on.

Starting fast from kick-off, Maccabi made their intentions clear on the Tigers team with two first-half goals.

They continued their goal-scoring feast soon after the main break with a penalty and a close tap-in from Owusu, giving Maccabi an unassailable lead, before a late Northern Tigers consolation goal and another to Maccabi concluded an impressive showing.

The draw for the national FFA Cup will be televised on FoxSports on June 26th at 12pm in a landmark occasion for the club.

Maccabi Hakoah Sydney City East FC carried their sizzling form in the regular-season fixture over the weekend as each of the four teams recording wins.

Including cup competition, Maccabi Hakoah’s firsts are unbeaten in ten games after their come from behind 3-2 victory against the Stanmore Hawks.

Stanmore started brightly and were up 2-0 and Maccabi faced a humiliating upset after its mid-week cup triumph, but Maccabi’s in-form striker Owasu, who pegged one before halftime.

Osuwu then leveled the scores soon into he second half before the rousing comeback was complete by Deklan Gilmartin, who slotted home the match winner in the 75th minute.

The reserves team faced a Stanmore squad hungry for an upset, but was denied by Maccabi, who lasted in a 2-1 win to stay ladder-leaders.

A forward combination of Kevin Lopes and Jeremy Horniblow looked dangerous for Maccabi and paid dividends in the opening stages with a Horniblow goal.

An equalizer to Stanmore soon followed as they snuck passed a sleeping Maccabi defence and earned a 1-1 draw at the break.

The second half saw plenty of scoring chances for Maccabi Hakoah, who couldn’t capitalise, but still managed a game-winner when the Stanmore keeper deflected a corner into his own goal.

Even the younger teams are on championship paths, with the under-18’s beating Stanmore comfortably 5 to 1 and the under-16’s recording a 6-1 romp also against Stanomre.

Notable performers include the 18’s Jackson Mayer, who notched a hat-trick, and goalkeeper David Booth, while the 16’s Harry Buch also netted a hat-rick, taking his tally to 12 goals in 11 games.

AJN STAFF