A team from the third tier in NSW is the first side into the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 after a superb win on Tuesday night at Proctor Park in Bathurst.
The Balmain Tigers, who play in Football NSW’s State League 1, trounced the Western NSW Mariners 3-0 to confirm themselves as one of five NSW teams into the main draw.
Club captain Tom Hyde was thrilled with the performance of his side, especially in not losing focus when play had to be holted mid-way through the first-half when the lights went out.
"The key to the game was our start, we came out with such intensity that we really took a stranglehold on the game from the first whistle," said Hyde.
"The early goal was the platform from which we built our whole performance.
"We also played the Mariners in Round 2 of our league competition, at the same venue, and won 4-0 which certainly helped in our preparation as it gave us great confidence and a winning formula to repeat.
"The flood light failure (after 25 minutes) was a real test as we had such strong momentum at the time but what pleased me most was that the boys didn’t drop their level when the lights came back on and we actually kicked on and scored the third just before half-time."
The other four Football NSW sides to qualify for the Round of 32 will be determined tonight with four huge matches to be played across the state.
Northern Tigers host Blacktown City FC at Mills Park, Sydney Olympic entertain South Coast Wolves at Lambert Park, Prospect United travel to Sydney United 58 and Rockdale City Suns take on Sutherland Sharks at Illinden Sports Centre.
All matches kick off at 7.30pm (AEST).
Click here for all the latest Westfield FFA Cup fixtures and results.
