Northern Spirit's charge towards the Six was finally consummated at Melbourne Knights' Somers Street Stadium after its three-one away win gained Spirit sixth-place, and a strong claim to continue its season into the Finals.
Two early goals were the platform for Spirit's victory. The first, from Noel Spencer, came after just 36 seconds. It was followed by Brent Fisher's long-range effort in the twelfth minute.
Isyan Erdogan got Knights back into the game just before the hour, but Victor Tomasevic's conversion of a penalty mid-way through the second half sealed the win.
Spirit coach Lawrie McKinna however declined to count his chickens yet. "I would like to, but I'll wait until Friday night when we play Marconi," he said at the after-match media conference. "If we get three points there, then we are (in the Finals),"
"Coming here to Somers Street is a hard place to get a victory, so credit to the players - they've been fantastic."
"Northern Spirit are a much better team," acknowledged Knights Director of Football Mirko Basic. "Their players were faster than (mine), have an excellent organisation, and play a modern defensive (game)."
The match had scarcely begun when Spirit took the lead. After winning possession from the Knights' kick-off, Fisher played a ball wide to the left where Tomasevic met it and crossed to the front edge of the penalty-area. Spencer had run forward in support and he gathered, feinted to shoot with his left, then brought it onto his right before rifling home high into the top right corner of the net. The goal was timed at 36 seconds, and was evidence of Spirit's desire for the victory.
Within the quarter-hour, Spirit had doubled the lead, and taken an early grip on proceedings. A high ball was played forward for Stewart Petrie, and he and Rodrigo Vargas rose in a joint aerial challenge. The ball came off Vargas and fell behind him where Fisher had run in anticipation of just such an occurrence.
With no outfield defender between himself and the goal, and spotting Knights' debutant goalkeeper Adam Hrehoresin off his line, Fisher let loose a thunderbolt shot from fully 25 metres. Hrehoresin was deputising for the suspended Martin Johns, and despite the scoreline, had an excellent game.
Knights had not had a look-in to this stage. It seemed the players were already of a mind their season had concluded. But just after the half-hour, two good opportunities came in quick succession.
Leon Buhic who was to depart the contest shortly after had made good ground up the left before crossing to Ante Pelikan at the edge of the area. Pelikan's shot fizzed past the post with Spirit goalkeeper Paul Henderson simply filling an observer role.
Three minutes later, Nick Sabljak took a free-kick from the corner of the penalty-area which was met by Andrew Marth whose diving header flashed just wide of the post.
It was Spirit which finished the half the brighter though, as a 30 metre free-kick taken by Tomasevic arrowed towards the net but for a last-effort touch by Hrehoresin which caused it to crash off the underside of the bar. The young keeper was first to react and was able to gather the rebound before the Spirit onrush.
Hrehoresin made another excellent double save shortly after the re-start. Fisher had outpaced Erdogan up the right and cut inside, shooting on the gallop. The ball cannoned off the post after Hrehoresin had correctly applied his geometry. Spencer followed-up with a fine shot that would have found the net but for the young keeper's athletic save.
Erdogan brought a glimmer of hope into the Knights' support with a goal just before the hour. Sabljak had made a run down the right before sending over a cross. Erdogan met it sweetly with a right-foot shot that went in low at the far-post.
"Melbourne Knights got us under pressure in the second half and got the goal back," said McKinna. "But credit to (our) players, we kept plugging away."
Just as Knights seemed to be grafting its way back into the game, Spirit regained its two-goal margin. Hrehoresin had made yet another brave save this time from a point-blank close-range shot from Ian Ferguson to deflect the ball around the post for a corner. As the corner came in, Vargas pushed Petrie, and referee Simon Micallef in a perfect position to see the offence awarded the penalty.
"I've seen them not given, but Petrie stood his ground and Vargas ran into the back of him, so I would say it was a penalty," said McKinna.
Tomasevic showed he could be even more deadly from 11 metres than from thirty.
This time, there was no Knights' reply and but for a very late flurry from Vargas and Marth, the game petered out to its contractual obligation ending.
"After three-one, the game was finished," said Basic.
"You have to take your hat of to the (Spirit) boys. Everyone wrote them off. Maybe we can surprise a few teams if we get (into the Finals)."