Words: Michael Flynn
Image: Getty Images

FNQ Heat are out of the Westfield FFA Cup 2015 after a heart-breaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Oakleigh Cannons at Jack Edwards Reserve on Tuesday night.

Both sides scored a goal apiece in extra-time after being locked at nil-all after ninety minutes, however Tamas Maffey-Stumpe’s miss in the shoot-out ultimately proved decisive.

Earlier Cannons substitute Dean Piemonte edged the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria club ahead with a pin-point extra-time free-kick, only for Heat’s Jamie Gosling to dramatically force the match to penalties with a equaliser in the 119^th minute.

The result marks the second time Heat have been eliminated in the Round of 32 after falling at the same stage of the tournament to Sydney United 58 in 2014.

Heat matched their bigger budget rivals from the outset and saw early opportunities from a host of set-pieces - Charlie Beverley going closest in the opening quarter hour from a corner with an acrobatic strike that failed to find the target.

A tense battle ensued as Cannons settled into the contest, however Heat continued to see the bulk of possession and chances for much of the first half.

Jamie Carroll was the first to find the target for the visitors when his long-range free-kick dipped over the wall and forced Cannons goalkeeper John Honos to tip behind.

Carroll and Crios O’Hare then both blazed wide from open play either side of the half hour, while former Olympic FC midfielder Jake McLean failed to find the goal with Cannons first clear-cut scoring chance.

Approaching half-time Gosling called upon Honos with a low drive from distance before Joshua Pin also forced a sharp save on the burst after being played in by O’Hare.

Cannons failed to trouble Heat goalkeeper Nicholas Mooney for much of the opening stanza - their only shot on target coming from a miscued first-time strike from McLean in the final minute of the half.

However, the hosts showed greater intent immediately after the restart - Mirjan Pavlovic forcing a save from Mooney before Sean Rooney skewed an effort wide of goal.

But an arm wrestle soon developed as the flow of the match was interrupted by a series of unsuccessful set-pieces for both sides.

Both sides could only fashion half-chances until the final twenty minutes when Cannons came closest to breaking the deadlock as McLean found the post with a firmly struck effort from 18 yards.

Heat spurned a pair of chances to snatch the win in the final ten minutes - Carroll delivering a blistering run from midfield before a heavy touch ceded possession before Maffey-Stumpe splayed a half-volley high from a corner kick.

Cannons fashioned the final opportunity of regular time, however Mooney again was up to task to tip a bouncing free-kick wide and extend the contest.

However, Mooney couldn’t repeat his heroics three minutes into extra time when Piemonte curled a free-kick into the top corner to finally break the deadlock.

Cannons failed to make the most of chances to extend their lead as the first period progressed - Rooney was first denied by another tellign save from Mooney before blazing over on the angle shortly after.

The former Newcastle Jets attacker spurned a further chance to seal the result shortly after the teams changed ends.

Heat failed to make the most of a pair of free-kicks as the contest approached the final ten minutes - Gosling missing the target with the first before forcing a fingertip save from Honos with the second.

While at the other end, Mooney continued to keep the Cairns-based club in the contest as he got a faint touch to deny Pavlovic on the break.

The goalkeeper’s efforts were duly rewarded in the final minute of extra time when Gosling delivered a bobbling strike from outside the area that deceived Honos to force the penalty shoot-out.

However, Heat couldn’t replicate their good fortune as Cannons converted all five of their strikes to take advantage of Maffey-Stumpe’s lone miss with Heat's second strike.

The result sees Heat join Strikers as Round of 32 casualities, leaving Palm Beach SC as PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland’s sole representative in the Round of 16.

Oakleigh Cannons FC  1 (Dean PIEMONTE 103’)
FNQ FC Heat  1 (Jamie GOSLING 119’)
*Oakleigh Cannons advance 5-4 on penalties