South Melbourne storms into OFC Pro League semi-finals with comeback win

South Melbourne FC person booked their spot successful the semi-finals of the OFC Pro League aft warring backmost from an aboriginal shortage to decision South Island United 4-2 astatine Eden Park.

After some sides won connected the opening time of Leaders Group action, victory for either team would warrant progression to the last four.

Having already played retired a thrilling 3-3 gully successful Round 2, goals were again a feature, with Hellas producing a devastating first-half show to take power of the contest.

South Island United struck archetypal successful the 17th infinitesimal when Haris Zeb surged down the close flank connected the counterattack earlier delivering for Ryan Feutz, who calmly finished archetypal clip into the bottom-left corner.

The New Zealand side’s pb lasted lone concisely arsenic South Melbourne responded emphatically with two goals successful 5 minutes.

Arran Cocks levelled the scores aft cutting successful from the near wing and curling a decorativeness into the bottom-right corner, earlier Max Mikkola enactment Hellas up successful the 27th infinitesimal and celebrated with a rugby-style dive adjacent the country flag.

South Melbourne’s set-piece strength again proved decisive midway done the half. A agelong propulsion from Mikkola caused chaos successful the area, with Josh Rogerson inadvertently heading the shot into his ain nett successful the 34th minute.

South Melbourne then added a 4th successful first-half stoppage clip when South Island failed to wide a corner, allowing Jordan Swibel to respond quickest from adjacent scope for his eighth extremity of the season.

Sinisa Cohadzic’s broadside continued to predominate possession aft the interruption but showed little attacking urgency, with Swibel and Cocks withdrawn astatine half-time arsenic South Melbourne looked to negociate the crippled with upcoming fixtures successful mind.

South Island United pulled 1 backmost successful the 80th infinitesimal done substitute Oliver Fay, who latched onto a agelong shot into the container to people his side’s second.

The closing stages brought a fewer tense moments for Hellas, including a unsafe Ryan Feutz free-kick, but South Melbourne held steadfast to unafraid their 2nd consecutive Leaders Group victory.

The effect leaves South Melbourne well placed to decorativeness top of the radical up of Tuesday’s clash against Bula FC astatine Eden Park,