Coach Ruben Zadkovich was full of pride in his team after Broadmeadow Magic finally recorded their first win in the FFA Cup Round of 32.
After falling at this stage of the competition three times in the past, the Northern NSW NPL side moved into the last 16 for the first time with a 4-1 win over Canberra FC in the nation’s capital on Wednesday night.
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“I’m really proud,” a beaming Zadkovich told Fox Sports.
“Last year [4-2 loss to Moreton Bay] was disappointing for us when we lost in extra-time with a man sent off.
“It was a little bit of redemption for us tonight. I’m really happy for all the volunteers and supporters of our club.”
Things didn’t start well for the Magic, falling behind after just 12 minutes courtesy of a Thomas James strike for the hosts, before losing star player James Virgili to injury.
But they somehow turned things around as Kale Bradbury equalised midway through the first half before John Majurovski scored either side of the break to put them in control.
Canberra FC had Daniel Subasic sent off for a second yellow card offence late in the match, with Dino Fajkovic putting the icing on the cake on 78 minutes to cap a brilliant night for the visitors.
“We had three or four boys who had to travel down today and drive six hours and James was one of them, so it’s not a shock that that ended up happening,” Zadkovich said of Virgili’s injury.
“Work commitments, NPL, it says a lot about our bunch and where they are at.
“I’m really proud of all my boys for their effort.
Asked who he wanted to face in the last 16, Zadkovich said: “You kind of hope you get a winnable game but if not you hope you get the champions of the A-League.
“Hopefully a home game at Broadmeadow would be nice, mainly for the younger ones in our club and the experience for the supporters and volunteers would be a brilliant thing and great exposure for our club.”
