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Brisbane Strikers 2 – 2 QAS
(Thurtell 71’ Angus 80’) (Brown 48’ Lambi 79’)
Brisbane’s eight-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday despite twice recovering from a goal down at Perry Park to draw with the Queensland Academy of Sport.
The QAS have been lacking their usual zest since losing a number of stars to the A-League pre-season but returned to their plucky best to almost cause the upset of the season.
Fullback Max Brown was the unlikely source of an unlikely opener for the youngsters, squeezing a shot past Strikers ‘keeper David Chambers after attacking down the left flank. Matt Thurtell equalised for the hosts with, unbelievably, his 31st goal of the season with around twenty minutes to play, although the contest was still to excite further with ten minutes remaining. Substitute striker Jordan Lambi gave the Academy reward for their efforts by restoring the lead following a neat move, only to see it evaporate within seconds as Nick Robinson took command from the resultant kick-off to eventually tee-up midfielder Michael Angus to level once more.
Angus’ goal eventually proved to be the last of a match which dealt both satisfaction and a cruel lesson to the QAS, while also reminding Brisbane of the level at which they need to continually perform.
NQ Razorbacks 3 – 7 Sunshine Coast
(Crowley 17’, 84’ Edwards 90’) (Frew 25’ Lewis 26’ Bechar 37’ Muta 45’ Blackman 79’, 89’ Firth 87’)
Sunshine Coast sprung spectacularly back into form on Saturday night, firing seven goals on the road past a struggling North Queensland.
While the Razorbacks began the match higher only than Gold Coast and four positions lower than Sunshine Coast, they could have reasonably expected to be more competitive than conceding seven times when Fire visited Townsville on Saturday.
The reigning QSL champions, however, had a point to prove after losing four of their past five matches, and underlined their finals credentials with a four-goal burst before half-time. Any self-doubts the visitors had after Razorbacks striker Jacob Crowley continued a recurring theme by opening the scoring were dismissed through four goals in a twenty-minute spell, beginning with Kaine Frew’s 25th minute equaliser and ending with David Muta’s strike on half-time. A hectic final eleven minutes saw the two sides trade goals as if they were Pokemon cards in 1999 with two for North Queensland failing to stop the scoreline from ballooning out in Fire’s favour.
The three points were still not enough to lift Sunshine Coast any higher than fourth, but the form repercussions are likely to be more positive. The Razorbacks are now longshots to climb any higher than second last.
Whitsunday Miners 0 – 5 FNQ Bulls
(Carroll 40’, 46’ De Nittis 60’, 61’ 75’)
Josh De Nittis and Jamie Carroll combined to produce the result of the round on Saturday night in dismantling Whitsunday’s position as Brisbane’s nearest challengers.
After it was claimed in last week’s wrap that Whitsunday had established themselves as frontrunners for second place, Far North Queensland were clearly set for a big trip to Mackay as they answered all questions as to which side the Strikers should fear most.
A flurry of goals inside sixteen second-half minutes saw the Bulls increase their lead from one goal to four, before Josh De Nittis rounded out his hattrick and the visitors’ magical night with a fifth. Jamie Carroll, the league’s premier goalscoring midfielder, had done the earlier damage by scoring his thirteenth and fourteenth goals of the season either side of the half-time whistles. Young striker De Nittis secured the result, and FNQ’s chance to go four points clear in second, with a quickfire double on the hour.
The weekend hammering was compounded for the Miners on Tuesday as coach Graham Harvey announced he would be stepping down from the role at season’s end amid a reported breakdown in negotiations between the club and the Mackay Regional Football Zone over a joint bid for the new Australian Premier League.
Gold Coast 0 – 3 Capricorn Cougars
(Mozr 10’ 13’ 53’)
Capricorn’s attacking left-fullback Rudi Mozr put his name forward for higher recognition away to Gold Coast on Sunday as he led the Cougars to a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Czech import Mozr, whose self-described natural position is in midfield, netted an impressive hattrick over an improved Gold Coast side to keep the visitors pressing fourth-placed Sunshine Coast.
The 21-year-old did most of the damage with two goals in three minutes shortly after kick-off before his treble, completed in the 53rd minute, brought his season tally to an alarming eight goals – surely enough to put his name on the radar for next season’s Australian Premier League, if not on the lists of higher-positioned scouts.
Capricorn currently sit in fifth-placed purgatory as winning their match in hand on Sunshine Coast would leave four rounds to recover eight points on Fire, while Gold Coast will continue playing only for pride.
Bundaberg Spirit – BYE