Brisbane Premier League: Round Nine

Another scintillating round of BPL action has seen Rochedale and Power consolidate their position at the top of the table, while North Pine, North Star and Souths continued their struggle for points. Round 9's Friday night action saw a 3-3 thriller between Capalaba and Wolves - the Bulldogs staging a miraculous comeback in the last 15 minutes. 

Capalaba 3:3 Wolves FC 

(Sargent '74; Warden '83, '85) (Janovsky '7; Mikula '22; Aoci '45) 

Wolves will wonder how they let three points slip away, after surrendering a three-goal lead in a frantic final 15 minutes at Carmichael Park on Friday night.

The visitors did not take long to settle in, Alex Janovsky pouncing on a poorly cleared ball from a free kick to calmly finish inside the box. Soon after the Wolves were two up, Paul Mikula converting a spot kick after Josh Harding clipped a storming Blake Cearns. Wolves seemed to have the game all but wrapped up by half-time, Kado Aoci sliding the ball home from Patrick McMahon’s pinpoint low delivery. Capalaba’s fans could be forgiven for heading home early, but those who stayed would not be regretting their decision. Midfield dynamo Scott Sargent began the comeback with an opportunistic goal after some good lead-up work by Mikhail Hastings. Barely ten minutes later and Greg Warden was stepping up to the penalty spot to cut the deficit to one goal. Moments later Warden sent the home supporters into raptures, volleying home from close range after Zac Brattan’s long range shot was deflected. 

It’s an inspiring point for Capalaba that leaves them unbeaten in three, while Wolves are showing frailties absent from their near-perfect season last year.

Peninsula Power 3:0 University of Queensland 

(Carseldine '12; Bonar '17; South '76) 

Peninsula Power took one step further to cementing their credentials as genuine title contenders this year, comfortably disposing of an inconsistent UQ.

The result was arguably decided by two brilliant strikes with less than twenty minutes on the clock. Myles Carseldine struck first – a sumptuous thunderbolt from outside the box. Lewis Bonar was quick to follow, expertly curling a long range shot past a helpless Tim Allen. Power was in control for the majority of the game and they wrapped it up with 15 minutes to play, Josh South rounding off a brilliant counter-attack spanning the length of the field. 

The performance was no less than Power deserved and handed them their 7th straight win to put a disappointing start to the season behind them and move within a point of competition leaders Rochedale. UQ have now lost two in a row- a trend they will quickly want to buck when they visit North Pine next week. 

Taringa Rovers 1:5 Rochedale Rovers 

(Pase ‘33) (Tabulo ‘5; OG ’20; Smits ’36; McLean ’50, ‘90+3) 

The competition leaders made sure they would remain at the top with a ruthless performance away to Taringa. 

The visitors got off to a flying start through Carl Tabulo, who volleyed home after a neat ball from Tim Smits. Taringa were unfortunate to go two behind on 20 minutes when Daniel Trueman headed a long Rochedale throw into his own net. Moments after Alistair Pase had pulled one back for Taringa, further comical defending by the hosts led to Rochedale’s 3rd - a poor back header to the ‘keeper allowing Smits to pounce. Two second half strikes by Jake McLean rounded off the score and a comfortable night for Rochedale. 

Tim Brown’s team will be expected to maintain their position at the top when they host Souths next week, while Taringa will continue searching for their first win of the season when they travel to UQ. 

North Star 1:3 Brisbane City 

(Brownlie ‘73) (Shepherd '47, '55 Rowley '49) 

Three goals in ten explosive minutes at the start of the second half saw Brisbane City grab all three points at North Star to remain in the top six. 

A dour first half where both teams cancelled each other out ended goalless. But the Azzuri came out of the sheds a different side in the second period, Andrew Shepherd breaking the deadlock with an unstoppable drive. Moments later, David Rowley blasted home from the edge of the area to sink a lacklustre North Star. Returning from injury, Shepherd grabbed his brace within ten minutes of the restart, scrambling past Matt Bradley to tap home. Royce Brownlie notched his third goal of the season and nothing more than a consolation with a little over fifteen minutes to go. 

It was a much needed morale-boos for City ahead of their game with Olympic, while North Star will go back to the drawing board as they look to try and get something out of a matchup with the reigning premiers. 

Eastern Suburbs 5:2 North Pine 

(Lewandoski '1, '54; Stenhouse '12, '24; Boyd '60) (Coffey ’44; McIntyre ’89) 

A dominating Easts made light work of a Gorillas side that remains winless and conceded its 30th goal of the season from just eight games. 

The Tigers recorded the fastest goal of the season thus far, when Brendan Lewandowski netted with 30 seconds on the clock. Captain Ryan Stenhouse was soon to follow suit, placing a well-timed shot past Gorillas’ custodian Sam Nickolls. Stenhouse grabbed his second and his side’s third on 24 minutes with another sumptuous free-kick he is quickly gaining a reputation for. Lone frontman Shane Coffey gave his side a lifeline when he headed in a Boris Kimmel cross at the stroke of half time. It was only a temporary boost, as Lewandowski made sure of the result early in the second half, moments after missing a penalty. Stenhouse produced another brilliant free kick, delivering on the platter for Matt Boyd to head home. By this stage Pine’s Coffey had been shown a straight red card for an ugly challenge on Easts’ ‘keeper Phil Zabakas, however a late Jim McIntyre strike restored some parity to the score.

Easts remain on the brink of the top six ahead of a potentially tricky trip to Lions FC. North Pine continue to be outclassed at this level and a change at the club is needed quick if they are to rescue their season.

Souths United 2:3 Redlands United 

(Eagers '70; Kedda '86) (Meredith ’57; Fyfe ’59; Rodriguez ’83) 

A breathtaking 5-goal second half has seen Redlands scrape across the line with all three points against Souths after a heart-stopping encounter. 

An uneventful first half produced few highlights, but perhaps both sides were warming up for an inspiring second 45. Redlands United struck two quick goals through Rhys Meredith and Graham Fyfe to grab a foothold on the game. But Souths showed resilience, refusing to implode and getting back into the match through Benjamin Eagers with 20 minutes to go. Rapid attacks from both sides resulted in another strike by the impressive Jose Rodriguez that gave Redlands breathing space. But Souths didn’t lie down and moments later somehow pounced again, this time Thomas Kedda giving the home faithful hope. But it wasn’t to be, Redlands holding on to all three points in a frantic final few moments. 

The win sees Redlands remain fifth, while Souths need to give that extra bit more if they are to get anything from a trip to Rochedale next week.

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QSL: FNQ Bulls thump QAS in goal-fest

FNQ Bulls have notched their second win of the Queensland State League season with a 6-2 Perry Park thumping of the Queensland Academy of Sport on Saturday evening.

A hat-trick of clinical Josiah Rusch finishes propelled Far North Queensland to an emphatic victory, lifting his side to seven points from only four fixtures this season.

The Bulls arrived at Perry Park, playing host to a double header due to A-League Grand Final-enforced rescheduling, on a warm afternoon hoping to regain momentum lost from a three-week break. The QAS, meanwhile, had hopes of recording their first points of the season following four straight losses.

The match was effectively an entrée to the main course later in the evening for Strikers-focused fans, but that wasn’t to diminish the intensity of the first 15 minutes.

While the away side settled into a rhythm quicker than their young counterparts, pinning back the QAS midfield and defence, the first chance fell the way of the designated home side in the 13th minute. Attacking spark Kwame Yeboah poked a defence-splitting pass from Sam Wilkinson’s knock-down for Ben Liftin to run straight through on goal, but the midfielder’s toe-poke was well blocked by the onrushing 'keeper Michel Breckenridge.

Breckenridge was again required to deny Liftin when a neatly-worked opening around the FNQ penalty area was slid towards the far corner, kept out only by a desperate fingertip save that turned the ball around the post.

But it was the Bulls who took the lead in the 29th minute through right-fullback Alex Plowman. After Rusch had spurned a glorious chance from QAS ‘keeper Matthew Stein’s clearance error, Cameron Morrison’s subsequent whipped corner was powered home at the near post by a diving Plowman.

FNQ had begun to exert their dominance at this point and capitalised on a good spell by adding a second in the 38th minute as Rusch latched on to captain Victor Madrid’s superb pass through the middle of the opposition defence to finish coolly to the side of Stein.

The FNQ onslaught continued two minutes later when Stein flapped at Sauer’s floated corner, allowing Paul Ruiz to nip in ahead of the goalkeeper and nod into an empty net. That goal ended the Academy’s misery for the first half as their front three had barely sighted the ball while FNQ’s quick delivery to Rusch’s feet was troubling their scattered defence.

The second half began with a slightly fuller crowd as the Strikers squad, anticipating their own kick-off, joined spectators in the stands to observe their future opponents. They didn’t have to wait long to see more goals – a sloppy backwards pass from a QAS midfielder was intercepted by Nathan Bird who slipped Rusch beyond the lone defender. The striker steadied and hit a sweet finish beyond the ‘keeper into the far corner to make it 4-0 on 55 minutes.

The goal signaled a slump in the match before Kwame Yeboah netted a consolation for the Academy in 68th minute, outpacing his defensive marker and finishing through the legs of Breckenridge after Liften was gifted too much space to pick a pass.

The goal enlivened the contest as a flurry of clear-cut chances fell either way, including another close range block by the impressive Breckenridge, until man of the match Rusch ended the wastefulness in the 82nd minute. Breaking away from the stretched QAS defence, he completed his hat-trick in typical fashion by firing a powerful finish into the far corner.

Six goals had probably been enough entertainment by that point but both sides seemed compelled to further thank the spectators with an easy finish to QAS winger Josh Riis making it 5-2, only for the Bulls to restore the four goal lead in stoppage time as a freak own goal caught out the QAS goalkeeper and capped a 6-2 rout in favour of the away side.

The thrashing sees the QAS stuck in eighth, ahead of bottom-placed Gold Coast only by goal difference, while Far North Queensland have risen to fourth, four points from third-placed Whitsunday with two games in hand.

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A-LEAGUE GRAND FINAL: Perth Perspective

It’s not always the best idea to put the proverbial pen to paper immediately after a game, particularly one that ended in the manner of the 2012 A-League Grand Final, however I think I’ve calmed down sufficiently to be able to do so. 

Firstly the positives; it was an absolute pleasure to be at the A-League’s showpiece game for the first time. The fact that Perth Glory, a club that I have put hours of time and effort into over the past seven months, was involved made it all the better.

No one really expected Glory to make the Grand Final, including Glory Fans United, one of their biggest supporter’s groups, who originally planned to have their end of year function on the same day.

Instead, a few thousand West Australian football fans migrated east to paint a large section of Suncorp Stadium purple in a superb show of support. Sadly what could have been the club’s best day in its A-League history turned into something of a nightmare in the closing stages.

It’s important to point out that no Glory fan would begrudge Brisbane their win; they continue to be the benchmark A-League side and are an absolute joy to watch on their day. However, the manner in which they claimed their second successive title understandably leaves a sour taste in the mouth of the purple army.

 The decision to award Jarred Gillett the Referee of the Year gong at the recent A-League awards night was met with widespread head scratching, and understandably so. Gillett is just another one of the less than adequate officials running around on the weekend with a whistle in their mouth. His handling of the game overall was average at best and it all came to a head in the final minute when he awarded a penalty to Roar for an apparent foul on Besart Berisha.

Now plenty have pointed out that on first glance it was a foul, though that in itself is debatable. If we take it that there was contact on Berisha and a penalty was the right decision then why did Gillett not produce a card for the player who committed the foul? Ten yards out, dead centre, only the 'keeper to beat...clear goalscoring opportunity right?

The outrage on the faces of the Glory players and supporters was there for all to see, with replays showing that the foul was questionable at the very least as Berisha took nice chunk out of the fresh air.

The Albanian’s antics to claim the spot kick were disgraceful but really it was just in keeping with his character. According to Glory skipper Jacob Burns (more on him shortly), Berisha admitted afterwards that it should not have been a penalty. If that is the case then it makes his theatrics even more disgusting. At least Mitch Nichols and Shane Stefanutto were big enough to admit publicly that the decision was the wrong one.

As usual the “Oh well, there was contact” brigade made themselves known in the immediate aftermath, some of whom are supposed experts in analysis. If it were the case that contact instantly meant a foul then there would be 20 penalties per game. As it is, the nature of football is such that contact between players is inevitable and to use that as a justification at times of controversy is simply incorrect.

With the game done and dusted it was on to the prize giving and more head scratching as Thomas Broich was awarded the Joe Marston Medal for the best player. Broich is of course excellent but was anonymous for large parts of the contest thanks to the resolute defending of Josh Risdon, and only came out of his shell really late on with a super cross for Berisha’s equaliser.

Things started to get a little fishy when Mick Lynch of The Age tweeted that none of the four print journalists involved in the medal voting had opted for Broich as the winner. Not long after, news began to emerge that the FFA had, to put it bluntly, fucked up and it was Jacob Burns who had received the most votes but the name had been miscommunicated to the announcer. How small time is that?

It was yet another facepalm moment in a season riddled with them, and another black mark on the FFA’s running of the whole show. Burns has been outstanding all year and to be deprived of a proud moment in front of 50,000 people can’t be made right with a shrug of the shoulders, a quick “sorry” and calls to just move on.

As always, Twitter is to the forefront of any football rumours and scandal, and another to emerge in the wake of the game surrounded a relationship between Jarred Gillett and a member of the Brisbane Roar media team. Now I’m not for one minute suggesting that had any impact on the result - because it didn’t - but the FFA shouldn’t be putting itself in a position where any sort of theory could develop.

Defeats are never nice to take at any level of the game but in a professional setting we simply expect better, as we should. Yes there are bigger problems in general at the moment as we try to save the future of some of our clubs but dismissing the smaller issues is not the answer.

Conspiracy theorists will point to the fact that such controversy is good for the FFA and football as it generics more headlines and interest. That is of zero consolation to around 2000 supporters who put their hands deep into their pockets to travel to the other side of the country for one game at short notice. The feeling amongst the Glory community is that their side was cheated, and it will take a long time for these wounds to heal.

Just wait until Roar and Berisha come to NIB next season...

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A-LEAGUE GRAND FINAL: The Aftermath

An own goal, an 84th minute equaliser, a Perth player sent off, a contentious injury time penalty, an incorrect medal presentation and a bittersweet farewell to Brisbane’s most successful coach. And they thought it would be tough to top last season’s Grand Final!

Credit: Melanie Dinjaski

No doubt the topic on everyone’s lips this morning will be the dubious split-second decision from Referee of the Year Jared Gillett to award Besart Berisha a penalty in the dying minutes of injury time last night.


READ THE FULL MATCH REPORT HERE


But that wasn’t the only drama on the night. Here’s the rundown of the talking points after the 2011/12 Hyundai A-League Grand Final.

Shane Smeltz’s facial injury

Credit: Melanie Dinjaski

Just fifteen minutes into the match Shane Smeltz was flattened by the stray arm of Roar captain Matt Smith. Immediate reactions were that it was serious, which was later confirmed by officials. Smeltz required more than fifty stitches to sew up his lip and nose which were severely torn from the impact. Temporarily able to play out three quarters of the game with his head bandaged up, Glory coach Ian Ferguson finally subbed the German-born striker to receive further medical attention. Ferguson later explained the difficulty Smeltz was having after the injury.

“We tried to keep him on as long as we could,” Ferguson explained.

“He was finding it tough to breathe, that was the most difficult thing. I was actually thinking about maybe bringing him off at halftime. He’s got a very, very bad cut inside the mouth, down the nose as well, it’s really split open.”

The Penalty

Was it an airswing? Did he fall? Was he put off balance? Did he dive or unfairly appeal? That’s what football fans everywhere will be asking. 

Replays showed Besart Berisha had passed Liam Miller when he lost his footing in the box, having attempted a shot on goal. The arguments for the penalty were that Miller, who stuck out his boot, did enough to put the Albanian off balance and cause the fall. Those against the penalty say Miller was nowhere near Berisha when he went down, and the striker simply had an airswing and lost his footing. Further controversy then arises from the fact the controversial forward appealed for a penalty. 

Credit: Melanie Dinjaski

Ian Ferguson tried to repel questions which were trying to bait him into criticising referee Jared Gillett. 

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t want to talk about the referee. He’s made the mistake, given the decision and I don’t want to start going at referees,” the Scotsman said.

“You want to talk about the final, talk about the final. I’m not going to condemn the guy. To me he’s made a mistake, end of story.

“I thought it was an airswing and he got the penalty.

“Not much I can do, not much I can bring back or take back time. But that’s what’s happened and we’ve lost a grand final.”

Roar coach Ange Postecoglou was unsurprisingly philosophical about the penalty. 

Credit: Melanie Dinjaski

“As a team we’ve always been the one that takes the initiative and I’ve always believed that if you do that, that you’ll get rewarded more often than not,” he said.

“The number of occasions we won games late over the last two years is not a fluke, it’s not luck. 

“If anyone thinks we’re undeserving of it, then I got an issue with that because I think we deserve to be champions. The rest is just good theatre.”

The result doesn’t change however. Brisbane Roar will go down as champions albeit it in controversial circumstances and it will remain a big talking point for years to come.  

The Joe Marston Medal Presentation Stuff-Up

On the biggest day of the Hyundai A-League season, like a game of Chinese whispers, the wrong name was read out during the presentation of the Joe Marston Medal, resulting in Thomas Broich having to hand back the award for Jacob Burns to accept it, in an awkward post-match press conference.

Credit: Melanie Dinjaski

In a long and sorry speech, head of the Hyundai A-League Lyall Gorman re-awarded the medal to the deflated Perth Glory captain.

“Unfortunately there’s been an administrative error with the awarding of the Joe Marston Medal tonight,” Gorman started.

“It’s one of those things that means that much to us and we want to honour the medal in that form, we have to undo it tonight and unpack it. We apologise to Brisbane Roar obviously, we apologise to Thomas Broich, we apologise to Perth Glory and to you Fergie. But most of all Jacob, we apologise to you. You were the proper and judged winner of the Joe Marston Medal. You were the most outstanding player on the field.”

The media were first given a sniff that something wasn’t right when Ferguson was questioned on the topic of whether Thomas Broich was a deserving winner. 

Credit: Melanie Dinjaski

“It was just a breakdown in the communication between the announcer and the judging panel. It’s one of those unfortunate things, it’s wrong and it shouldn’t happen,” Gorman said.

Roar coach Ange Postecoglou let his guard down to comment on the shocking news.

“You shouldn’t get that wrong as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Credit: Melanie Dinjaski

“I’m not into bashing the people that run our game, there’s enough people who do that anyway.  I’ve always been the kind of person where I think, me, because I earn a living from the game should be an advocate for the positive things, but you can’t get that wrong.”

The forced smile from Jacob Burns was near painful to watch, as was Gorman who was desperately seeking a more sincere acceptance of the FFA’s apology. Though Burns’ body language said something very different, the Glory skipper’s words showed true character.

“It’s an absolute privilege to receive this medal. It’s something that I will cherish for the rest of my career and life. And look these things happen. Obviously I’ll share this with Thomas, he’s an unbelievable player. There could have been a number of people out there to get it,” Burns said.

No matter the graciousness in which Burns accepted the medal, the whole event was an embarrassingly farcical incident that will simply add fuel to the fire for those against the A-League and the body that runs it.

Ange’s Departure

Credit: Melanie Dinjaski

Since arriving in Brisbane in 2009, Ange Postecoglou has built a formidable team to go back-to-back for the first time in A-League history. Let’s not forget last season there was a mass exodus of players, that included their then captain Matt McKay. 

Still, the right players were selected to fill the void and here they are once again crowned champions. 

“I’m going to enjoy the moment and enjoy us winning another championship,” Postecoglou said after the win.

“I think I deserve to at least bask in the celebrations that we’ll have over the next couple of days, and when the time is right and after I sit down and talk with the relevant people, the next move will be decided.”

So long Ange!

The Final Reaction

For Brisbane the victory in front of a packed Suncorp Stadium puts them into the mix as one of the best ever A-League clubs. Certainly as the first team to win the championship two seasons running, with or without Ange Postecoglou, they will go into next season as hot favourites. 

“Just a ridiculous end again to a game and as much a testament to the spirit of these players. It was a real hard slog today,” Postecoglou said with orange glitter glistening off his hair. 

“It was a battle. It wasn’t pretty. Perth to their credit made it really difficult for us.”

Credit: Melanie Dinjaski

It may not have been the result Perth Glory and their purple-clad fans would have hoped for, but it was a season to be proud of for the visitors. They defied the odds to make the Grand Final, and were within reach of taking the title. 

Ferguson was unashamedly proud of his team and their performance. 

“I’m very proud of them and how they’ve played their season. Nobody’s given us a chance and they’ve come through, gotten over hurdle after hurdle,” he said.

“I thought the game plan went well and we were outstanding today.”

An emotional Jacob Burns was clearly devastated at how close they came to victory.

“I would love to have my hands on the trophy. I’ve been looking at it all week and dreaming about holding it. But it wasn’t to be tonight. I can’t fault anyone from the staff to all our players, our whole travelling squad, it’s been a fantastic year for us,” he said.

“But you got to take your hat off to Brisbane. You just can’t take your eye off them for even a second. They’re true champions.”

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A-LEAGUE GRAND FINAL: Brisbane Roar champions

For the first time in Hyundai A-League history Brisbane Roar went back-to-back winning the 2011/12 Hyundai A-League Championship trophy with a controversial 2-1 win over Perth Glory at Suncorp Stadium.

Early in the game Perth was able to keep the ball in attacking territory by pressing up high on the Brisbane defence and making it difficult for the Roar to pass it out from the back as they like.



By the 10th minute mark though, Brisbane settled and were working the ball up the pitch nicely. Liam Miller was shown yellow by referee Jared Gillett for a challenge on Erik Paartalu while on the break, further exciting the orange-clad crowd.

Perth fans would have had their heart in their throat 15 minutes in when star striker Shane Smeltz went down after a stray elbow from Roar captain Matt Smith. Medical staff were on the field of play for at least five minute while Smeltz, who remained flat on his stomach throughout, was given a most attractive head bandage to stop his upper lip from gushing crimson.

Smeltz receiving medical attention

Despite Brisbane holding most of the possession in the first half Glory were outstanding at the back, resiliently keeping the Roar’s chances to a minimum.

After Besart Berisha fluffed a genuine chance in front of goal, left back Ivan Franjic went painfully close in the 40th minute finding what seemed like acres of space on the edge of the box to put a shot on goal. Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic was up to the task, though it was clear the Roar were starting cracks to find in the Perth defence.

Going into the break 0-0 Glory coach Ian Ferguson must have been proud. But in the 51st minute, the lively Scotsmen would have been ecstatic when his side got the lead.

A strong movement forward from Perth got the visitors into position when Billy Mehmet spread it wide to Travis Dodd in the box. His cross was blocked, but his ensuing second attempt was lazily handled by Franjic in close quarters, leaving Michael Theoklitos only able to watch as the ball trickled into the net, sending an eerie hush across Lang Park.

Brisbane remained hungry after conceding, launching a full-pronged attack on Perth. Postecoglou made the bold decision to sub off last season’s miracle man Erik Paartalu, closely followed by Murdocca and Henrique.
The injection of Luke Brattan, James Meyer and Nick Fitzgerald did up the tempo for the Roar, but finding that elusive equaliser was becoming increasingly difficult as the 90 minute mark approached.

Ferguson must have felt the win was imminent, hedging his bets by subbing off Shane Smeltz still a good ten minutes from fulltime. Soon left with just ten men on the pitch after Heffernan received his second yellow of the night, the decision would prove to be a giant risk four minutes later.

Who else but mega-poacher Besart Berisha to bring the Roar back into the game in the 84th minute on the end of a perfectly lobbed cross from German whiz, Thomas Broich. The noise that followed from the 50,334 in attendance was near deafening; an audible sigh of relief.

Then the game-winner. Albanian drew anger from Glory fans in four minutes of injury time to get an unbelievable penalty after losing his feet in the area. Referee Jared Gillett controversially pointed to the spot despite raucous protests from Perth players where replays showed the striker simply fell over with his feet in a tangle.

Still, Berisha converted and the goal counted, sending orange masses into a frenzy and making Brisbane Roar Hyundai A-League champions for the second consecutive season.

Berisha scoring the much-discussed penalty

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A-LEAGUE GRAND FINAL: The Fans Are Ready

The Football Sack went a-walking down and around Suncorp Stadium before today's Hyundai A-League Grand Final in Brisbane. There was plenty of orange and plenty of purple. Here's just a few of the happy faces we saw! Have a look, it might include a happy snap of YOU!

The masses.

Who will win the toilet seat?

This guys got a flag.

Clever sign, bro.

Perth fans sure are passionate!

Caxton Street alive and pumping before the game!

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QSL: Brisbane Strikers Back On Top

Brisbane Strikers returned to the top of the QSL ladder on goal difference last night with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Capricorn Cougars at Brisbane’s Perry Park.

The Rockhampton based Cougars were unable to match their capital city opponent’s quick movement and one touch passing, with only Brisbane’s poor finishing preventing a much wider margin.

Former A-League player Jonti Richter proved a worthy man of the match upon his return from injury, setting up two goals for the home side in an energetic display.

The ex-Roar man was involved in nearly everything the Strikers created during his 70 minutes on the pitch, with Capricorn’s defenders unable to combat his blistering pace and deft touch down the right wing.

It was Chay Hews though who opened the scoring for Brisbane in the 9^th minute, his searing strike from 20 yards, courtesy of a incisive Matt Thurtell pass, leaving Capricorn goalkeeper Tim English no chance of a save.

However, the scores were quickly levelled against the run of play when Sander Waterland, Capricorn’s only stand out on the night, capped off a swift Cougar’s counter-attack, finishing neatly on 12 minutes.

It was to be only a brief glimmer of hope for Capricorn who never truly settled against a high-pressing Brisbane defence that saw the home side regularly regain possession in the Cougar’s half.

It seemed only a matter of time before Brisbane restored their lead, and on 18 minutes Thurtell did just that, completing the simplest of finishes after Richter, who had spurned two previous chances himself, drew out the keeper and turned provider for the prolific striker.

Thurtell then added another ten minutes later, his 10^th goal in five games this season, after former Fury fullback Lorenzo Sipi combined with Richter down the right.

Sippi’s low cross was straight to the feet of the heavily-marked Thurtell, who controlled well before unleashing a low shot that keeper English bizarrely fumbled into his own net, summing up the visitor’s night.

Capricorn were then restricted to sporadic counter-attacks and speculative long-range efforts for the rest of the half, subsequently going in at the break behind 3-1.

The Cougar’s fullbacks pushed into a more attacking role for the second 45 minutes, and while it provided a brief flourish, Michael Cay having two chances in quick succession, it also left Richter dangerously unmarked.

On 58 minutes the winger once again made good on his penetrating runs, cutting a low ball back for a rampaging Josh Searle who drove home the Strikers’ fourth.

With the result beyond doubt and the Brisbane team outplaying their opponent in all facets, the small but vocal crowd were only left to ponder how wide the margin would be.

Thurtell went in search of his hat trick but was unable to find the target on a half-dozen occasions, including a gilt-edged chance on 86 minutes when he found himself one-on-one with the keeper.

More wayward Brisbane finishing, including four misses in injury time, saved Capricorn further embarrassment in what was a disappointing display for the visitors who fancy themselves as finals contenders.

They will look to regroup for their next match at home to Queensland Academy of Sport while Brisbane will seek to maintain their momentum as they travel to Bundaberg next week.

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Theoklitos feeling sharp for 2011/12 Grand Final

In a matter of days Brisbane Roar will aim to become the first team in the Hyundai A-League to win two consecutive Grand Finals. One man who has been a central figure for Brisbane is goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos. 

Credit: Brisbane Roar

Into his fourth Hyundai A-League Grand Final, ahead of Orange Sunday II as Roar fans have dubbed it, a win over Perth Glory could see Theoklitos crowned the most successful goalkeeper to ever play in the domestic competition.

“It’s something I’m very proud of; being the first player to win three Grand Finals and now participating in my fourth,” Theoklitos said after a jovial recovery session at Yeronga on Wednesday.

“I just love it. As a footballer that’s what you want to do. You want to play these big Grand Finals with big crowds. And there’s no better feeling than playing in front of our home fans, on a home pitch, in a sea of orange,” he beamed.

In a professional career that has spanned almost 15 years including stints in the NSL and starts with Blackpool and Norwich City in England, it’s in the Hyundai A-League that this well-travelled footballer has found stability and really made a name for himself.

Since joining the Hyundai A-League in 2005 with Melbourne Victory, Theoklitos has won three Premierships and three Championships in just six seasons. Topped off with three gongs for A-League Goalkeeper of the Year, the outstanding achievements of this Melbourne native make him arguably the competition’s best ever.

Credit: Brisbane Roar

But at 31 (which in goalkeeper age is only about 23) Theoklitos still has plenty of time to add a few more trophies to the cabinet. And that’s just what he intends to do on Sunday.

As a member of Brisbane Roar’s leadership group, the goalkeeper has relished his role as a mentor within the squad. That leadership will be invaluable come the weekend.

“I’ll have a chat to a few of the younger boys and talk to them about my experiences that I’ve had in Grand Finals,” he said.

“But winning it last time, a lot of the guys were there, so they know what it takes to win one and are familiar with the build up.”

Unfortunately for the Roar, an unwanted part of that build up has been the whispered departure of head coach Ange Postecoglou. Speculation in recent weeks has dominated headlines, as a bidding war between Melbourne Victory and the Bakrie Group reportedly vie for the services of the coach who brought disciplined possession football back to the fore in Australia.

Aware of the disputed move south, Theoklitos admitted that Postecoglou has been integral to the club’s positive performance in the last few years. But he was reservedly confident that a new head coach wouldn’t want to change things too much.

“If Ange was to move on, it depends who comes in. They might have a different philosophy,” he said

“Ange hasn’t left yet, but I’d like to think what we’re doing has worked for us in the past two years. So if someone was to come in I’m sure they’ll look at the success we’ve had and why we’ve achieved so much.”

Under Postecoglou Brisbane’s achievements have been plentiful indeed. Replacing Frank Farina as head coach in 2009, Postecoglou rebuilt a squad within less than a year before lifting the Championship trophy in the 2010/2011 season. The only smear during his tenure has been the team’s disappointing run in the AFC Asian Champion’s League this year. Their much-hyped debut in the Asian competition has proven to be a steep learning curve for the orange-clad players.

However after a narrow 2-1 loss on Tuesday night Theoklitos said the team still love the opportunity of playing internationally. Despite being effectively ruled out of progressing to the next stage, Theoklitos took pride in their most recent performances.

Credit: Brisbane Roar

“Obviously we lost [on Tuesday] but in terms of our performance, we played quite well and created quite a few chances,” he said.

“Everyone’s pumped and ready and we’ve pulled up well [physically] which is very important.”

After the game Postecoglou laughed off suggestions that the loss would adversely affect his team’s mindset, and Theoklitos agrees. He says their attention has moved quickly towards the Championship decider.

“I think it’s [the ACL] been ideal preparation,” Theoklitos explained.

“We’re confident going into the game. Our form has been very good of late.”

Undeterred by the challenge that awaits including question marks over how the rugged Suncorp pitch will hold up, and the prospect of facing one of the league’s most lethal strikers in Perth Glory’s Shane Smeltz, Theoklitos is adamant he and the team are more than ready for what comes their way on Sunday.

“It’s great to play against guys like Shane. He’s a very good striker,” Theoklitos said.

“But I feel really on top of my game. I’m feeling sharp.

“Nothing really changes. We still want to play the same brand of football as that’s what has led us to the Grand Final. So we’ll just play our regular style.”

And if it goes to penalties? Can last season’s game-winning goalkeeper do it all again?

“Hopefully for us it doesn’t go down that road! But having said that, if it goes down to penalties, as long as we’re on the right end of the result, I don’t mind,” Theoklitos chuckled.

“It’s all really exciting and I really can’t wait!”

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QSL: Sunshine Coast Fire break clear

The QSL season resumed after the Easter break with a Round Five postponement meaning Brisbane Strikers lost their hold on top spot as Sunshine Coast took the advantage.

Capricorn Cougars 2 – 2 Whitsunday Miners
(Cay 3’, 52’) (Puckett 37’ van Moolenbroek 68’)

Capricorn Cougars, 2011 wooden spoon winners, stretched their unbeaten start to the season to three matches on Saturday night with a 2-2 draw at home to Whitsunday.

Welcoming the third-placed Miners to Jardine Park for the Central Queensland derby, Capricorn were looking to join their opposition on nine points, despite having played two less matches.

A brace from striker Michael Cay, including a 3rd minute opener, lifted the Cougars to a 2-1 lead early in the second half before one-time North Queensland Fury trialist Michael van Moolenbroek grabbed a point for Whitsunday with a 68th minute equaliser.

The draw means Capricorn remain undefeated from their first three fixtures of the season while the Miners now trail first-placed Sunshine Coast by two points.


Bundaberg Spirit 3 – 0 Gold Coast Stars
(Leggett 7’ Griffin 77’ Hartstonge 86’)

Bundaberg Spirit notched their first win of the campaign with a 3-0 home victory over lowly Gold Coast at home on Saturday night.

The two sides entered the match equal bottom and looking to record their first respective points of this season.

Bundaberg’s Luke Leggett relieved the tension for his side by putting Spirit ahead in just the 7th minute before Central Coast Mariners youth midfielder Brendan Griffin and Luke Hartstonge added a goal each to secure the result late in proceedings.

The vital win means Bundaberg have breathing space from Gold Coast and the QAS at the foot of the table, while the Stars’ early-season losing streak has extended to four and a -19 goal difference.


Sunshine Coast Fire 3 – 0 QAS
(Verdin 36’ Henslee 47’ Blackman 55’)

Sunshine Coast Fire pulled two points clear at the top on Sunday afternoon with a confident 3-0 victory over the Queensland Academy of Sport.

Hoping to assert their authority on the league with the Strikers inactive for the week and Whitsunday only managing a draw in Rockhampton, Fire met a QAS side at Stockland Park buoyed by a promising last outing in Brisbane.

A comfortable win would have been expected by Sunshine Coast boss Richard Hudson and he got just that as three goals and a clean sheet was enough to see off the opposition.

Australian schoolboy representative James Verdin netted first for the home side in the 36th minute as he pounced on a shot which had struck the post. Greig Henslee just about put the result beyond doubt two minutes after the restart before striker Shaun Blackman rounded out the scoring in the 55th minute, combining in familiar fashion with Tyson Holmes.

Sunshine Coast will now enjoy a break with a scheduled bye and will resume away to FNQ Bulls on April 28 while the QAS will be looking for their first points of the season as they entertain the Bulls next weekend.


FNQ Bulls vs. Brisbane Strikers – POSTPONED 

NQ Razorbacks – BYE

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Late goal lifts Adelaide United to top spot

Adelaide United’s stand-in coach Luciano Trani has heaped praise on Eugene Galekovic after the ‘keeper pulled off a string of saves to help the Reds to a 1-0 win over Pohang Steelers at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday.

Bruce Djite scored in the 89th minute to put United in the box seat of their Asian Champions League group, three points clear of their nearest rival with two games remaining.

While United’s striker will take the headlines for his finish at the death it was Galekovic who kept his side in the game with a world class save in the 11th minute denying Pohang forward Byung Jun.

Trani likened the save to the so-called ‘Save of the Century’ which denied Pelé at the 1970 Mexico World Cup.

“He reminded me of Gordon Banks when he was playing for England and he tapped it just as it bounced in the corner,” he said.

The match was a return to form for the United Captain who was at fault two weeks ago when Pohang earned a 1-0 win over the Reds in Korea.

“When the chips are down he’ll come up strong and tonight was just a brilliant performance,” Trani said.

Trani said he never gave up hope his side would score and championed a newfound resilience within the squad.

“It all comes back to the work that you put in during the week and all through what has been a tough time and that’s where I think the resilience comes from,” he said.

“We’re seeing the benefits of it.

“It’s a credit to the players and credit to the coaching staff who have put in a decent amount of work.”

Adelaide’s victory moves them to the top of Group E on nine points, leaving them in pole position to move into the knockout stage for the third time in the club’s history.

“This sets us up in a very good position to qualify [for the next stage],” Trani said.

United didn’t have it all their own way during the game however with the game fluctuating between dour patches of defensive play and enterprising end-to-end attacks.

The first half started brightly with end to end chances in the opening 15 minutes before the attacking play dried up as the battle for top spot in Group E became a defensive struggle with chances few and far between.

United’s best chance of the first half came in the seventh minute after a solid build-up including a number of short interchanged passes in the midfield unlocked Pohang’s defence.

The chance fell to Bruce Djite who powered the ball from outside the box but his left-footed shot was aimed straight at Hwa Yong who dealt with it easily.

At the other end Galekovic’s reflexes were all that kept the scores at parity in the first half after a brilliantly curving cross from out wide found the unmarked Byung Jun.

The Pohang striker’s header was set to give the Korean side a shock lead away from home before United’s captain dove to his right and palmed the ball around his post.

In an often dour first half neither side could carve out enough clear-cut chances to score as the teams went into the break with the scores at 0-0.

Pohang’s Romanian forward Zicu missed the best chance of the match in the 48th minute as his shot flew over the crossbar from close range.

Asamoah was played in down the wing and his near post shot was smothered by Galekovic, only for the rebound to fall to Zicu. Fortunately for the Reds the Romanian faltered in front of the unguarded net as his left-footed half-volley sailed over the bar.

Less than a minute later the Reds produced their best attack of the game as youngster Evan Kostopolous broke free down the left flank. Kostopolous was drafted into the side for injured playmaker Dario Vidosic and his low cross on 49 minutes deceived the defence and was met by Ramsay at the back post.

The Reds were to be denied by an outstanding save by Hwa Yong who blocked Ramsay’s half-volley which seemed destined for the back off the net.

Crowd: 7659

Referee: Tan Hai

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Long road ahead for Brisbane Roar in the ACL

Credit: Brisbane Roar

Brisbane Roar once again fell short of recording their first win in their Asian Champions League campaign, conceding a penalty in the second half to give Korean outfit Ulsan Hyundai the 2-1 victory.

Despite the loss, don’t think for a moment that the Roar will be worried or fear their imminent elimination from the ACL. On the contrary. After the game Brisbane coach Ange Postecoglou echoed feelings of pride in his team.

“I know the players are disappointed, but I’m not. I’d be much more disappointed if we went out there and sat back and didn’t create any opportunities or relied on the set piece or on the break,” Postecoglou said.

“We know where we’re at and we wanted to play this tournament in a certain kind of way and I think we have in the last three games. You know we’re not quite there in terms of real quality.

“There’s no shame in saying that. That’s where we want to be and that’s how we want to improve.”

In what will be positive news to Brisbane Roar fans, Postecoglou also scoffed at suggestions that the loss would have adverse affects on the mindset of his players ahead of the Hyundai A-League Grand Final in less than five days.

“Will that [loss against Ulsan] affect them on Sunday? Not in the slightest.”

There was evidence that Brisbane had one eye on the Grand Final, subbing out poaching striker Besart Berisha early into the second half as well as Henrique, Nichols and Murdocca.

In front of a small, but passionately loud 7015-strong Brisbane crowd the home fans weren’t treated to a confident start. It was a different Ulsan Hyundai that faced Brisbane to the one they played two weeks ago. They pressed hard and just like they have against other Asian teams in Group F the Roar looked uncomfortable.

Not helped by a worn and slow pitch, Mitch Nichols was having a particularly disappointing evening. Off a pass forward from Mohamed Adnan, Nichols was ambushed by two Ulsan defenders who managed to dispossess the midfielder. Colombian Juan Estiven Velez then made a glorious strike while off balance to launch the ball into the net, easily beating a humbled Michael Theoklitos.

Shane Stefanutto was the unlikely goal scorer of the equaliser in the 25th minute with an attempted cross bamboozling the Ulsan ‘keeper Seunggyu to find the bottom left corner of the net.

It was the defender’s first goal in Brisbane Roar colours and remarkably just his third ever career goal.

When the two teams returned to the pitch after the break, the animosity grew as each side fought hard for that all important winner.

For all money Brisbane looked most likely to score. Launching wave upon wave of attack, a goal was surely on the cards. Luke Brattan released a cracking long range effort which rattled the cross bar and drew “Oooohs” from the rowdy home crowd. The deflection however helped the ball up the opposite end of the field where Ulsan’s pacey forwards exploited the counter, and deep in Roar territory drew the penalty off a clumsy challenge from Mohamed Adnan.

Korean captain Taewhi sent Theoklitos the wrong way and within a minute, the game swayed heavily in Ulsan’s favour.

Brisbane tried desperately to claw back another equaliser but to no avail.

Sitting in third position in Group F and 6 points behind the leaders FC Tokyo and Ulsan, though theoretically possible, it’s safe to rule out the Roar as a title contender for this year’s ACL title. However Postecoglou remained upbeat about their upcoming encounters in the tournament.

“The next two games is a real good opportunity for us to take it up another level because we won’t be playing in the A-League,” he said.

“The players will be rested, there’s two weeks between games so we can really prepare for them. We’ll certainly use those games to further develop ourselves as a team and we certainly want to get some wins.”

Ulsan head coach Kim Ho Kon admitted his team were “lucky” to have scored two goals. For the former Korean international footballer, the performance was nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, Kon said he sees a very bright future for Brisbane Roar and other A-League teams in the ACL and beyond, signalling that success is not far away.

“In my playing days I played Australia many times in World Cup qualifying events. Previously Australia was relying on long kicks but this time I was impressed with their short passing game,” he said.

“Obviously Australia are very strong in football in Asia and I believes Australia will lead the Asian region in the future.”

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VPL: Dandenong early favorites

The end of round three of the 2012 Victorian Premier League season sees Dandenong Thunder lead the packing, taking maximum points from their opening three games without conceding a goal.


Oakleigh Cannons 2 (Diaco 25', L. Walker 30') Moreland Zebras 1 (Reccha 39')
Jack Edwards Reserve
Oakleigh Cannons downed struggling Moreland Zebras 2-1 on Monday. Ricky Diaco put the home side ahead on 25 minutes before Luke Walker doubled the advantage five minutes later. Carl Reccha pulled one back for Moreland before the break but Oakleigh held on in the second half to pick up their second win of the season. Moreland are without a win in their opening three games but looked to have improved, even if it was slightly, under new coach Joe Palatsides.


Heidelberg United 0 Richmond Eagles 1 (Visevic 69')
Olympic Village


Heidelberg United's miserable start to their 2012 VPL campaign continues when they suffered a 1-0 home loss to Richmond Eagles. Daniel Visevic struck the only goal of the game just over twenty minutes from time to seal Richmond the three points. Heidelberg remain equal bottom of the table with Moreland and are yet to score a goal this season.


Green Gully Cavaliers 3 (Jones 37', Sanders 75', Hayne 85') South Melbourne 1 (Cicak OG 12')
Green Gully Reserve


South Melbourne remain winless at Green Gully Reserve for another year after the defending champions came from behind to condemn South to their first loss of the season. It didn't start well for Green Gully when they went 1-0 down early thanks to an own goal from Ante Cicak but Daniel Jones ensured the scores were level going into the break. The scores remained 1-1 until 75 minutes when Mathew Sanders popped up to put Gully into the lead. Winger Jason Hayne made it 3-1 with five minutes to go to make it 26 years without a home loss against South Melbourne.

 
Dandenong Thunder 2 (Sherbon x2) Melbourne Knights 0
George Andrews Reserve


Dandenong Thunder continued their great start to the season with a 2-0 win over Melbourne Knights at George Andrews Reserve. Two goals to Luke Sherbon, both from the spot, secured Thunder their third successive win. Dandenong remain first on the table and haven't conceded a goal in their opening three games.



Northcote City 1 (Lujic 90') Hume City 1 (Ofli 87')
John Cain Memorial Park


Northcote City rescued a point against Hume City on Saturday thanks to a late goal by Milos Lujic. It was a srappy affair and one that seemed destined for a 0-0 draw until Hume's young-gun Atila Ofli stepped up with three minutes from time to give Hume a late lead and what many thought was the winning goal. But Northcote weren't having any of it and Milos Lujic capitalised on a very late chance to ensure the points would be shared for the first time this season.



Bentleigh Greens 2 (Jukic 75', Sullivan OG 84') Southern Stars 0
Kingston Heath Soccer Complex

Two late goals to Bentleigh Greens secured them the three points over local club Southern Stars at Kingston Heath. The scores remained 0-0 until fifteen minutes from time when Andrija Jukic gave the Greens the lead. It wasn't long before Bentleigh doubled their advantage courtesy of an own goal from Patrick Sullivan. The win keeps Bentleigh into the top five and keeps Southern Stars in 10th place.


LADDER:

POS		TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1		Dandenong Thunder	3	3	0	0	9	0	9	9
2		South Melbourne	3	2	0	1	8	4	4	6
3		Green Gully Cavaliers	3	2	0	1	8	5	3	6
4		Bentleigh Greens	3	2	0	1	6	3	3	6
5		Richmond	3	2	0	1	4	2	2	6
6		Oakleigh Cannons	3	2	0	1	5	5	0	6
7		Northcote City	3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
8		Hume City	3	1	1	1	3	4	-1	4
9		Melbourne Knights	3	1	0	2	3	4	-1	4
10		Southern Stars	3	1	0	2	2	7	-5	3
11		Heidelberg United	3	0	0	3	0	7	-7	0
12		Moreland Zebras	3	0	0	3	1	9	-8	0

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