MELBOURNE City midfielder Luke Brattan has been cleared of a serious injury after being taken to hospital during the club’s FFA Cup win over Brisbane Roar on Tuesday night.
In frightening scenes, play had to be stopped for almost 40 minutes as Brattan received treatment on the Dolphin Stadium pitch.
Brattan was left prone on the ground after a seemingly innocuous collision in the 36th minute with Roar’s Stefan Mauk, with the City playmaker slipping while fighting for possession and copping an accidental kick to the head.
There were serious concerns for Brattan’s welfare but fears were eased late on Tuesday night when he was given the all clear by the medicos.
FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS
Marco Jankovic put his name up in lights on Tuesday night, scoring the winning goal as Bentleigh Greens stunned Hyundai A-League outfit Wellington Phoenix 1-0 in the FFA Cup Round of 32.
Jankovic was one of the 10-man Greens’ best players, capping a brilliant performance with a glancing header from a corner as Bentleigh progressed to the last 16.
But his outstanding display should come as no surprise with Jankovic coming from exceptional football stock, with his dad Milan a La Liga championship winner with Real Madrid.
As well as playing for the Spanish heavyweights in a glittering career in Europe, Jankovic Snr also represented Yugoslavia and only missed out on a spot at the 1990 FIFA World Cup™ due to injury.
HELLENIC SCORE BIG THANKS TO NAB
Darwin-based Hellenic AC were expected to be brushed aside with ease after drawing Hyundai A-League heavyweights Western Sydney Wanderers in the Round of 32.
And after going 2-0 down inside the first 10 minutes, it looked like it was going to be a long night for the club.
However, Hellenic gave the Wanderers a huge scare by clawing it back to 2-2, and then equalising again at 3-3, before going down to a very late winner.
Despite the loss, Hellenic pocketed $7,500 thanks to the NAB Golden Goals initiative, which will go a long way for the Football NT club.
SPECIAL NIGHT FOR BENTLEIGH GLOVEMAN
Back to the Greens and their clash with the Phoenix was extra special for the club's goalkeeper Ryan Scott.
The Bentleigh custodian is a huge fan of English Premier League club Newcastle United, and the match against Phoenix saw him cup up against former Magpies defender Steven Taylor.
Scott made the trip to New Zealand in 2014 to watch Newcastle United take on Wellington in a pre-season friendly, getting a picture with the tough-tackling centre-back.
Fast forward four years and the shot-stopper played a key role in ensuring Bentleigh made Taylor’s competitive debut for the Phoenix one to forget as the NPL side pulled off a huge FFA Cup upset.
