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27 August 2026
South Melbourne FC's Australia Cup dream rolls on

South Melbourne FC are into the semi-finals of the Australia Cup, following a dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Preston Lions.

The OFC Pro League finalists will face Lions FC in the last four in two weeks time, with a place in the final against either Sydney FC or Melbourne Victory on the line.

They were made to work for the victory however, with Preston Lions taking a 49th minute lead, thanks to a Cian Cuba strike from inside the area.

Unsurprisingly, Sinisa Cohadzić's side responded excellently, scoring twice in the final half hour to turn the tide and secure a dramatic 2-1 victory.

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Jack Painter-Andrews grabbed the equaliser just after the half-hour mark, latching onto a loose ball and firing into the far corner past goalkeeper Ryan Scott.

Aaron Cocks then scored a late winner. The forward playing a one-two with Yuki Uchida before firing an unstoppable effort past Scott from nearly 25 yards out, sending the Hellas fans behind the goal into raptures.

September 9 is the date to mark in the calendar, as South Melbourne prepare to take on Lions FC, with the Australia Cup final in sight.