Former North Village Rams youth player Ben Gibson and his Manly United teammates progressed to the 5th round of the FFA Cup with a 1-0 win over Arncliffe Aurora in a match that truly illustrated the Magic of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Cup.
Manly United defeated the local St George Premier League team 1-0 in front of 1,000 fans in a match that will live long in the memory of the locals.
The local Arncliffe crowd was spirited and passionate, providing the perfect backdrop to the David v Goliath clash.
Manly went into the match with a young team sprinkled with some experienced players needing match minutes and dominated possession from start to finish. Teenagers Gibson, Nick Rainbird, Jordan Devries, and Lucas Rainbird all started alongside the likes of Dom Ferguson, Dylan Mitchell, Joe Fox, and Richie Cardozo. And while Manly dictated the tempo of the match and attacked for a large period, the defiance and steel of the local opposition were brilliant.
It eventually took an 85th-minute goal to split the teams when a Nick Rainbird cross deflected into the net from an Arncliffe defender, which silenced the crowd that was boisterous and passionate from start to finish.
The FFA Cup may have gone into hiatus during the COVID-19 disruption but it roared back into town, to the delight of everyone.
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