Melville City marched into the State League Cup quarter-finals with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Armadale at Len Shearer Reserve. Striker Simon El Chami scored twice against his former club with Gary McVicker getting the remainder on a memorable day for the Division Two club. “We have been working hard to improve our game and now we are starting to see the results,” said Melville’s Clayton Kendall. “The guys responded well to the pressure after giving up a two-goal advantage to a team two division higher than ourselves. This result will give us more belief and builds momentum as we look to overcome a slow start in the league.”

Genuine goalscoring opportunities were scare throughout a tight first half in which Melville had perhaps the better of possession. But the first opening came the way of the home side with Blake Adams beating the offside trap and chipping oncoming goalkeeper Stewart Dalgarno, however, Kendall got back in time to prevent the ball entering the net. Melville looked the more likely team to score and that they did on 32 minutes, McVicker’s corner leading to a goalmouth scrambled in which El Chami struck into the roof of the net. That lead was almost added to late in the half when Kudzi Chigwanda swept the ball into the post on the end of a tidy counter attack.

Melville picked up the second half where they left off and on the hour John Brennan whipped a cross in behind the defence for McVicker to tuck into the net. It took only two minutes for Armadale to reply through Adams, who sent a low centre past Dalgarno. The Reds were quick to resume the attack, heaping pressure on the home side. They were rewarded for a second time in the 75th minute when Mark McClements’ thundering volley from 16-metres brought the teams level. The deciding goal arrived with twelve minutes to go, El Chami putting away his second goal on the counter attack. El Chami could have finished with a hat-trick but was denied in a late one-on-one with ‘keeper Jack Adams.