QAS cut Razorbacks down to size

Queensland Academy of Sport showed determination and maturity beyond their years to post a gutsy 3-2 victory over North Queensland Razorbacks at Meakin Park on Sunday afternoon.

Photo: Melanie Dinjaski

QAS Head Coach Darren Davies heaped praise on his young squad who he says have come a long way this season.

“The boys stuck together today and I can’t fault them. Every single player in that dressing room has been outstanding and they dug in,

“Last year we would have lost that game, this year we’ve won and that’s the main difference for me as part of their on-going development,” he said.

QAS started the match with most of the possession, and dictated proceedings sitting high up the pitch. 

But having toughed out a come-from-behind 3-3 draw with Brisbane Strikers last week, the Razorbacks were not short on self belief.

NQ’s counter attack was proving to be their strong point, led through the middle by Brett Hay, Robin Edwards and Jacob Crowley, who were all working the ball to each other nicely with deft one-touch passing. 

However, with QAS laying on the forward pressure and content on passing it around, NQ had far too little of the ball to set up any real opportunities. 

Photo: Melanie Dinjaski

The first scoring chance of the match was set up from a player whose outstanding skill on the ball has bamboozled opposition defence in past matches.

Jacob McLean turned nothing into something as he shimmied his way past the Razorbacks to pass it off to QAS’ top striker Elliot Ronto. At first the pass looked too heavy, gliding past Ronto and tracking towards the Razorbacks’ goalkeeper. But when Brandon Borrello came flying in from the right, feet first, the goal was narrowly missed as the ball shaved the right post. 

Absorbing the onslaught of Academy’s attack, NQ remained calm under pressure. Each time QAS pushed forward, they managed to work it back to their midfielders.

Approaching half time the Razorbacks were building nicely, though QAS weren’t making it easy for the visitors. They consistently fell back when NQ advanced and crowded dangermen Robin Edwards and Lee Mayberry in the box.

It seemed as though both teams would be kept scoreless at the break, until the 44th minute, when QAS struck. McLean muscled off NQ’s defenders to set up Ronto, who generously passed it across to Borrello. Borrello’s booming shot rattled the cross bar and fell delightfully at Ronto’s feet, who confidently hammered in the goal.

It may have been the dying moments of injury time in the first half, but QAS could sense NQ’s defence was getting lax. Borrello won and took a corner from the right and placed it perfectly for Ronto at the back post. Ronto’s shot may have been well saved by the scrambling Razorbacks ‘keeper but no-one could have stopped Kwame Yeboah’s attempt. High and hard it ruffled the net, giving QAS a 2-0 buffer going into the break.

Photo: Melanie Dinjaski

In the second half NQ came at Academy with a vengeance. But they soon tired and the crisp possession and passing they had displayed earlier in the match began to fade as QAS’ McLean and Jack Bladen took control.

When two of the Razorbacks’ best men David Bowater and Robin Edwards were subbed off, so did the push forward for NQ and gaps in the back came thick and fast for QAS to exploit.

But against the run of play, NQ salvaged a goal back to reduce the deficit. The long ball landed for Jacob Crowley who collected it and ran it goal-wards, only to be brought down by Academy’s Jayke Cuschieri in the box. From the outset referee David Weir had shown his no-nonsense approach (with many a yellow card dished out previously). Weir pointed to the spot, and Lee Mayberry took full advantage of the opportunity.

The goal brought back some of NQ’s enthusiasm and they began executing their chances better in the second term.

At the back QAS ‘keeper Jakob Smith was strong though. In the right place at the right time, he reacted well to the advancing Razorbacks. When Branden Holt found space through some tight passing from NQ, he had a one-on-one opportunity against Smith, but his shot was repelled by a fine save from the lanky ‘keeper. 

NQ’s Jacob Crowley continued to cause havoc for QAS, giving the Razorbacks the pace they needed to get around the defence.

Half-way through the second term, the ball regularly found its way toward Academy’s goal as the Razorbacks continued to search for the equaliser. Crowding the QAS box the Razorbacks threw everything at them. Then to the confusion of QAS supporters in the stands, referee Weir pointed to the spot again after a foul by the ‘keeper, and cheers from the NQ bench could be heard.

Reliable David Han took the penalty, got the goal and brought it back to 2-2.

Approaching full time, QAS fought hard for the winner they so deserved, lifting their tempo and piling on the shots at the Razorbacks’ goal. James Donachie showed excellent skill to weave through three or four NQ defenders before putting the shot in from close range, only to have it deflected from a player sliding in with the block.

Donachie’s solo effort was mimicked soon after by NQ’s Branden Holt who took it from half way, and dodged QAS players left and right to put in a blistering shot from 10m out. It took a desperate diving save from Smith to stop, and QAS sent it forward once more.

It didn’t seem that there would be a winner at Meakin Park, with either team failing to find the breakthrough. But after 90 minutes, deep into injury time, workhorse Brandon Borrello, who had gone down injured twice in the second half, plucked the ball from the NQ and in a familiar fashion ran it down the right side. Once out-running his man, he found space and put a whopping strike past the ‘keeper. 

Photo: Melanie Dinjaski

The crowd erupted in applause and Borrello topped it off with a back flip, that was not as well executed, but just as entertaining nevertheless. 

The three points means Darren Davies’ side maintain outright fourth position on the QSL ladder.

Davies was proud of his team and knows they have the caliber to continue their good form.

“We’ve got one young lad over there [Mitch Cooper] who has just played in finals football at the World Cup and it’s good for the QAS to be involved,” he said.

When asked if the game plan changes as they approach the finals in the QSL, Davies is keeping his players grounded.

“We’re not in the finals football yet. We’ve got one very, very important game left to play and both sides can still catch us. It’s mathematically possible. So until finals football is secure, we’ll concentrate on the next game.”