Shepparton United’s fairytale Australia Cup run comes to an end

However, reaching the dizzying heights of Round 4 proved beyond the boys in blue this time around as they succumbed to a 6-2 loss versus the Uni Hill Eagles.

Separated by four divisions in the Australian league pyramid, United came into the clash without fear - spurred on by the mantra of coach Roven Shaholli, who had declared that his team had “nothing to lose and everything to gain”, coming into the encounter.

While the record books will list a defeat for Shepp on this occasion, there is no doubt that the class of 2026 have secured their own special place in club folklore after venturing further than any United side in history.

In front of a buoyant crowd at John McEwan Reserve, United fell three goals down within 45 minutes in what proved to be a sobering first half.

Adam Daoud opened up the scoring in the 13th minute before Danny Bakarat doubled the visitors’ lead on 39 minutes.

United conceded again just five minutes after the interval as Othniel Chisi found the net - but this spirited side demonstrated it has lost none of its never-say-die attitude as they got on the scoresheet in the 57th minute via Willie Sauiluma.

In perhaps the only blot on the team’s record in an otherwise proud journey in the cup, Shepp’s Zulfiqar Alizada was dismissed by the referee in the 57th too.

For the next 12 minutes, ten-man Shepp kept the opposition at bay, frustrating the State League 2 side until they added a fifth goal courtesy of Ivan Franjic in the 79th minute.

Refusing to go down without a fight, United’s battlers eventually were rewarded for their hard work as they were awarded a penalty kick - which was duly converted by marksman Murtaza Hussaini.

Although the visitors added a sixth through Ameer Madden to put the seal on a comprehensive victory, the home fans showed their appreciation for the class of ‘26 as the curtain came down on what otherwise had proved to be a magnificent cup run.

United head coach Shaholli’s enthusiasm has been palpable throughout the adventure to this stage in the competition and it is clear that he has been able to generate a togetherness between the players and supporters.

“You can’t beat putting smiles on people’s faces - that’s one of the best rewards as a coach,” he said after leading his team to Round 3 of the cup.

“Obviously there's a lot more people coming to training and it just gets things happening in and around the club.”

“People have been sending messages to the players, there is that buzz and fans have been reaching out making sure they are all switched on and happy with the environment.

“A lot of the boys’ mates and families have been rocking up, it’s been incredible - I haven’t seen something like that in a long, long time.”

On a personal level, Shaholli has made no secret about what the experience has meant to himself and his coaching staff, which includes assistant Rahman Kutrolli.

“You can't beat it, and winning games puts everything together,” he said.

“It’s a massive deal for me and the coaching staff, as well as the club.”