FMR Waves 5 versus Vasse Eagles 1
GAMES in the Knockout Cup are always tense affairs as defeat means an abrupt end to the soccer season.
With only 11 players to choose from, due to injuries, and the opposition boasting five subs, it was sure FMR Waves would tire towards the end of the game.
Thus, it was important they turned their domination into goals in the early stages.
Regular goalkeeper Taj Thomas was once again given a chance to prove himself out of goal, this time in the left back position, where he coped admirably.
Waves made most of the early running and creating the better goalscoring chances.
Travis O'Shea hit a post and Caleb Smirke didn't get enough power on the rebound and again when a Vasse defender missed a clearance, Caleb again went agonisingly close to scoring.
At 12 minutes gone some pressure was released when Travis O'Shea scored with a great long-distance shot into the roof of the net.
A near carbon copy of this goal came from Sam Leigh's wonderful strike into the top lefthand corner and it was 2-0.
Vasse should have halved the deficit, when an attacker beat the offside trap from a free-kick, with only goalkeeper Jai Stanley to beat he missed his shot.
Player of the match Seb Bosich rarely put a foot wrong in a brilliant display of tackling and passing throughout the game for the Waves.
Right back Janaya Beddow's tackling and Sol Garland's speed in defence helped Waves see their two goal advantage into the break.
Within seconds of the start of the second half Leigh converted from the penalty spot after Jim Wotherspoon was brought down in the 18-yard box, to make it 3-0 and a more comfortable lead.
Jasper Harvey then went on an amazing run in the Vasse penalty box, beating three players before having his shot blocked, however, the clearance hit O'Shea and ricocheted back into the goal, 4-0.
It was O'Shea again, this time getting his hat-trick as his shot just beating the keeper over the line, to give the Waves a five-goal lead.
In the closing stages of the game the Waves, as expected, begun to tire. The team could not keep position, putting defenders such as Callum Stevenson under enormous pressure.
He did well to allow Vasse only one consolation goal.
Waves next face St Josephs in the semi-finals after their upset win over league winners Dunsborough in their quarter-final game.
