Elisha Wild scored a goal in each half at Glen Park, after her Albury Hotspurs team-mate Charlotte Laird had given Albury High a sixth-minute lead.

The visitors from Griffith pulled one back when they were awarded an indirect free-kick inside the box for a back-pass.

But it was game over when Molly Spry scored a tap-in with the last kick of the game, sending Albury High through to the last-16 of the competition.

"The girls were brilliant," coach Simon Porter said.

"I was really worried about this game; we play Marian at this stage pretty much every year so it's become a bit of a rivalry.

"You really don't know what to expect and you've got to adapt once the game starts.

"We saw their dangers up front, tried to mark them out of the game and I think it worked quite well."

The award of the free-kick which led to Marian's goal, late in the first half, raised a few eyebrows.

"A few of the girls didn't agree with it but we just had to accept it," Porter said.

"I told them to keep their heads in the game because we were dominating otherwise and that was the only chance they'd had on goal.

"We did go very flat for five minutes after it and we're lucky half-time came because I got the chance to talk to them and get their heads back in the right spot.

"It means a lot to make it through.

"The principal rocked up at the end and he was very happy, so the girls appreciated that.

"We don't train a lot as a group but they all play on the weekend so they all bring skills themselves and over the rounds, they've all gelled together, developed and they're playing really well together now.

"That's with six Year 7s coming into the team this year.

"We're rebuilding but still winning at the same time."

Xavier High School were also in action at Glen Park, taking on St John Paul II College at the same stage of the Bill Turner Cup - the boys' competition.

However, they fell to a 2-1 defeat, Angus Morgan's second-half strike in vain as the ACT outfit proved too strong.

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"We're a bit disappointed because we had our chances," Xavier coach Paul Hamam said.

"We felt we could have gone into extra-time or even won the game.

"We made a couple of mistakes at key moments but we could have equalised.

"They were a good passing team who managed to keep possession so at half-time, I wanted the boys to press them and try to shut them down a lot more, which they did in the second half.

"We had momentum after we scored and I thought we were going to get a second goal but that's what happens in soccer; sometimes it doesn't happen.

"I think it's a just result. John Paul II College did play really well.

"We've loved our run in this competition.

"We haven't made it this far in the competition before, so that's an achievement in itself.

"The boys can hold their heads high, given the manner in which they played.

"Not all our guys play soccer regularly, so to match it with those guys who look like they all play soccer at a decent standard is a pretty good feat."

The competition continues at Glen Park on Thursday, with Albury High up against Rowville Secondary College for a place in the national quarter-finals.

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