In the end, there was simply no more magic for Heidelberg United Alexander to call upon. After a history-making run to the final of the Australia Cup, John Anastasiadis’s semi-professional outfit fell in a 3-1 extra-time defeat to the Newcastle Jets on Saturday evening, ending their hopes of becoming the first side from outside the A-League Men to lift the trophy and dashing their dreams of playing in next year’s Asian Champions League 2.
That honour will instead go to the Novocastrians, who dragged themselves back up off the canvas after falling behind to Ryan Lethlean’s eighth-minute opener to equalise through Max Burgess in the 21st minute. Over 70 minutes later, they forced themselves in front through Oscar Fryer in the 96th, the substitute cutting inside from the right and curling an unsaveable effort inside the far post before sealing the result in the 115th through a super turn and finish from Ben Gibson. Between the two extra time goals, both sides had a player sent off, first Kosta Grozos for the Jets, then Heidelberg’s Johnny Apostolopoulos.
