It was a mesmerising result for a number of reasons. For one, the David versus Goliath battle between a District League and Premier League side. Secondly, the match was played at United's home ground in Macedonia Park. Thirdly, Shellharbour were coming up against the first ever association side to reach the round of 32 of the Cup - which is what United achieved in 2022. And lastly and perhaps most importantly, the healthy rivalry between both clubs that are both rich with Macedonian ties.

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The result was heartbreak for the region's footballing heroes United who were cheered on by Illawarra fans during their resounding Cup run that ended in a narrow defeat on the national stage against Victorian semi-pro side Green Gully in 2022.

The win for Shellharbour however means District League ladder leaders continue on to round four of the tournament and move one step closer to their dream of taking on NPL or A-League opposition.

The result was huge considering United actually took the lead within 60 seconds of the match thanks to a strike from Jayden Makowski. Elvir Catovic squared the ledger for the Sky Blues but the home side had the lead soon after thanks to a goal from their midfield maestro Mitsuo Yamada.

All was travelling smoothly for Wollongong until the 61^st minute when Nicolas Rouco popped up to level the scores.

In pure Australia Cup fashion, the teams could not be separated and the match went to penalties, where Shellharbour triumphed 4-3 thanks to a match-winning save from goalkeeper Blake Coad which cued scenes of pandemonium.

And after their 'magic of the Cup' moment, just how far can Rod Williams' side go in the competition? That is the question that the coach and his players will be wondering when they woke up following the victory.

Club president Yani Sekuloski was immensely proud of both his team's effort and the product of football the side produced. He even lost his voice for the cause on Tuesday evening. But result aside, he was even more chuffed to see the effects of the merger from late last year between Shell Cove and Shellharbour JFC put into place, with junior kids walking out with the seniors pre-game and also running on to the pitch following the shoot-out victory.

"Tuesday night's game is a reflection of the future of our club," he said.

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"It's a positive pathway from a six-year-old right up to actually first grade. [It was also a crucial result] to put us on the map to say that we are competitive with the local Premier League teams such as powerhouses like Wollongong United.

"There's no other words to actually say. It's just great to see."

In other Australia Cup results for local sides in the past few days, Gerringong smashed Lithgow 13-1 and Bulli beat Nepean 2-1. Albion Park are through to the fourth round with more local sides still yet to play their matches.

Teams like Shellharbour, Gerringong, Bulli and the White Eagles will wait eagerly to see Football NSW's fourth round draw.

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