Part-timers Avondale FC came close to a shock in the FFA Cup by taking A-League side Sydney FC to extra-time before succumbing 4-2 in their quarterfinal on Wednesday night.
Milos Ninkovic and debutant Adam Le Fondre scored late to deny the Victorian NPL upstarts a place in the last four.
FFA Cup specialist Liam Boland cancelled out Trent Buhagiar's first-half double with his own brace after half-time, igniting the 1566-strong crowd at Broadmeadows.
Buhagiar timed a far-post run perfectly to finish Le Fondre's fine work after 17 minutes before poking through Avondale goalkeeper Chris Oldfield's legs after a superb through-ball from FC debutant Siem de Jong.
With five internationals on the pitch, Sydney were expected to see off Avondale. Instead, the state leaguers were soon level. Boland's first was superb, the second opportunistic. On 57 minutes, the towering striker was given too much space in the box and blasted home off the base of a post before poking home Andrew Redmayne's dropped cross just four minutes later as Avondale finished the stronger.
Avondale had been forced to play 120 minutes on Friday and it showed in extra-time as they allowed Ninkovic to break their hearts with a near-post finish and Le Fondre to score on debut with a breakaway effort.
A Sydney derby looms large in the latter stages of the competition after Wanderers' progression into the last four.
Meanwhile, at AAMI Park, Markus Babbel's Sydney Wanderers beat Melbourne City 2-1.