Gold Coast goalkeeper Matt Stein says his knowledge of football's rules proved beneficial at a crucial point in their dramatic 1-0 win over Moreton Bay United in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday night.
The stunning win sees them advance to the Westfield FFA Cup last eight.
See all the goals from the night here
Relive the night across the four games here
DISALLOWED GOAL
In the second half of regular time, United were frustrated when Alex Javosky’s indirect free-kick found the back of the net without being touched, seeing the goal correctly disallowed by referee Lara Lee.
Stein took credit for was the decision to allow the free-kick to go past him rather than risking a diving save.
“I asked the referee before to make sure it was indirect – and to remind her as well – and I saw their big men at the back post so I thought if I stopped it and got a bump it might get knocked in.
“But I knew if I let it through it was the safer option. Some might say it was a howler but I guarantee it wasn’t."
"I one-hundred-percent knew what I was doing,” he concluded.
REVENGE AFTER LEAGUE LOSS
And Stein his teammates have silenced their critics as Gold Coast City secured the win.
A dramatic extra-time penalty won and converted by Sam Smith secured City passage to the competition’s final eight in a contest that ranked as one of the most dramatic in Westfield FFA Cup history.
Smith’s maiden goal in the Westfield FFA Cup came after over 100 minutes of tension as both sides fought tooth-and-nail to gain the ascedency at Wolter Park.
Each team saw goals disallowed prior to the winner with Smith controversially adjudged off-side in the first period of extra time after nodding the ball across the line for City.
The drama was further extended by a lighting failure at the commencement of extra time that saw the match delayed for quarter of an hour as electricians hurried to fix the problem.
“It was a massive game and we had to battle until the end. We had every obstacle possible thrown at us but the boys stuck together and we got the result," Stein said.
“The loss on Saturday [in the league] meant we were all up for this game.
"Not in a vengeance sense but it really pulled us together because we realised we hadn’t done anything yet and we needed to get this win.”
CITY'S SUPER RUN
The win further extends City’s record as Queensland’s most successful club in the Westfield FFA Cup – with five wins now on the national stage equalling their previous best run in 2014.
The club’s focus now turns to this weekend when they host Western Pride in the PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Semi-Final at Duncan Mckenna Field.
