MATCH REPORT | ELIMINATION FINALS 2015 - HUFC V PVSC

Pascoe Vale has caused a major boil-over after defeating Heidelberg United on penalties in the NPL elimination final at the Olympic Village on Sunday

Alexander Pavlidis was the hero for the hosts after he saved two of Heidelberg’s spot kicks in the shoot-out to guarantee progression to the preliminary final against South Melbourne, which will mark the first time it will play in a top-flight semi-final in its history.

It was the visitors who began the brighter with both Davey van’t Schip and skipper Joseph Youssef going close in the first quarter of an hour.

The match was thrown on its head on 40 minutes when Bergers man Jamie Cumming was dismissed for kicking out at van’t Schip who was previously fouled.

This galvanised Vitale Ferrante’s side who struck the game’s opener at the beginning of the second stanza via Youssef who drilled the ball low and hard beyond Heidelberg’s Griffin McMaster.
It didn’t take long for the Bergers to hit back though and when Andreas Gova scored his team’s first, the match was anyone’s for the taking.

Golden chances fell to both Youssef and Dan Heffernan, but their inability to convert meant the sides would battle it out for a further 30 minutes.

It was Reuben Way who looked to have stolen it for the hosts with a fine finish on a tight angle. Drama soon ensued when Jake Nakic tucked the ball into the back of the net. The goal was initially ruled out but the decision was overturned, which ramped up the emotion.
Penalties soon followed and Heidelberg paid for their three failures from the spot to send the Pascoe Vale bench, players and fans into delirium.

Match Details: Heidelberg United 2 (Govas 48′ Way 95′) defeated by Pascoe Vale 2 (Youssef 47′, Nakic 105′ +2) 0-3 penalties