With both sides needing a win to enhance their qualification hopes, it was Macarthur who looked the more threatening in the opening moments with Harry Politidis thumping a seventh minute effort wide and Callum Talbot glancing his header across the target.

 

But Tai Po grew into the game with Michel Renner’s header from James Temelkovski’s cross from the right in the 18th minute forcing a save out of Filip Kurto and there was little the Macarthur goalkeeper could do six minutes later when the visitors took the lead.

Sartori gathered Temelkovski’s flick just inside the penalty area and then shot towards goal, the effort taking a deflection that gave Kurto little chance as the ball flew to his right.

Ji Dong-won steered his attempt well wide from close range with six minutes remaining in the half, the former Korea Republic international squandering a gilt-edged opportunity from Politidis’ cross from the left.

Ji was off target again in the dying moments of the half after Sime Grzan’s backheeled layoff while the Croatian clipped the top of the Tai Po crossbar moments into the second half.

By the 50th minute, however, the hosts were level. Vickery sidestepped Gabriel Cividini as he charged out of the area to challenge the forward, who unleashed a right-foot shot that was deflected past Tse Ka Wing.

 

Liam Rose then rattled the Tai Po crossbar from more than 25 yards while Fernando crashed his shot into the side netting from distance for the visitors as both sides sought the winner.

The decisive strike came in the 70th minute. Luke Brattan’s free kick beat Tse only to thump the goalkeeper’s post, the ricochet fizzing out to right side of the penalty area where Vickery scored from a tight angle after anticipating the path of the rebound.

Kurto made a flying save to his right to keep out Patrick Valverde’s curling strike in the last minute of regulation time, preserving Macarthur’s lead and confirming his side’s progress to the knockout rounds.