The Blacks Division 3 team were eliminated from the cup by a late winner from East Adelaide in a high-scoring thriller to launch the season.

Cup Round 1

Adelaide University Black 5-6 AET East Adelaide

Goals: Lucas Bragagnolo, Kevin Ugalde, Miro Vujica 2, Joe Henderson

 

The matchday commenced without a referee but experienced official Lucas Barsby stepped in to fill the role.

The Blacks had a host of early chances, the best of which came from a Joe Henderson low-driven cross that was just out of reach for the striker.

The Blacks scored on 14 minutes by a driven corner from Henderson, with Lucas Bragagnolo the scorer.

The lead was short lived as Yi Lu handballed in the box and the East Adelaide striker scored from the resulting penalty.

The goal represented a turning point for East Adelaide as they made it 2-1 at 26 minutes by a chipped through-ball to the striker in the box.

The Blacks responded two minutes later with a through-ball in the box to Kevin Ugalde, who finished with ease.

Neither team were able to enjoy any significant period of dominance as Luke Urban brought down an East Adelaide attacker for a penalty at 30 minutes.

However, in an exciting passage of play Jacob Davey saved the penalty, Miro Vujica countered and slotted it past the ‘keeper to make it 3-2 to the home team at 31 minutes.

The game was heating up and Tom Macura was yellow-carded for coming in late on an East Adelaide midfielder.

East Adelaide swung in the resulting freekick and the ball was eventually bungled into the goal, making the match level just before half time.

The first half finished at three-a-piece.

The game restarted and the Crows’ crowd at Adelaide Oval could be heard roaring and created an atmosphere you wouldn’t see at most amateur cup matches.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, the ball fell to Vujica out on the right of the pitch before he set himself and drove the ball low into the corner of the goal to put the Blacks ahead.

Minutes later, the Blacks had an opportunity to put the game beyond reach as a long ball was played over the top to Vujica who beat the on-rushing ‘keeper but his long-range effort was off-target and Shekhar Tippins couldn’t follow up.

East Adelaide continued to put on the pressure in the latter parts of the second half, taking shots but none created any meaningful chances.

An East Adelaide corner came in the dying minutes of the match and bobbled around in the box before the striker finished the chance to level the match.

Regulation time ended at 4-4, forcing extra-time.

In extra-time, the Blacks tried a lobbed through-ball but it was hand-balled in the box.

Henderson confidently converted the resulting penalty three minutes into extra-time which gave the Blacks back their lead.

East Adelaide scored the tenth goal of the match from a corner with one minute of the first half of extra-time to go and levelled the score once more.

In the second half of extra-time, East Adelaide took the lead from a header off a chipped ball into the box with eight minutes to go.

The Blacks had one last-gasp chance from a freekick but Henderson hit the ball over the bar.

The game ended 6-5 to the visitors in a match that was a battle of the ages.

Main photo: William Chau