Winning Heidelberg United coach George Katsakis paid tribute to the travelling fans after United’s thrilling penalty shootout win in over Sydney United in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 16 MD 1.
RECAP: See how the night unfolded across all four games here
The NPL club had three coach loads of fans with around 100 making the trip to the Harbour City for Wednesday night’s clash in western Sydney.
And the travelling supporters went home very happy following the shootout heroics of their keeper Chris Theoridis-Petropoulos, after a 1-1 draw was won in the shootout by Katsakis' men from Melbourne.
WATCH: See the winning save in the shootout here
“AMAZING” FOR THE FANS
“It’s incredible, especially for these people here who’ve done the road trip,” Katsakis told Fox Sports.
“Just amazing, absolutely amazing. It just speaks for itself.
“It just puts clubs like us Heidelberg and Sydney United back on the map.”
LONG-TIME CLUB MAN
Katsakis has been at the Bergers since he was eight years old, later playing for the black and yellow, working at board level and now coaching for the last 10 years.
“It’s probably amongst the best [feeling]. It’s just incredible and what a journey this year.
“We’ve finished minor premiers, won the Docherty Cup, into the last eight of the FFA Cup... it just shows you what this group is capable of doing.
“We’ve come a very long way over the last four or five years since the inception of the NPL, it’s been a great transition.
“We’ve worked towards targets and plans and with the formation of the FFA Cup incredible."
QUARTER FINAL DREAM DRAW?
“At this point, it doesn’t matter,” he added.
“To get to the final you need to beat everybody. And that’s been our mentality over the journey.
“We’ll take anybody.”
