QSL: Sunshine Coast crowned Queensland champions

Sunshine Coast Fire claimed their third consecutive Queensland State League title on Sunday after defeating Whitsunday Miners 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out at Stockland Park.

Fire captain Greig Henslee slotted the winning penalty to settle two fierce hours of back-and-forth football that remained stubbornly deadlocked at 2-2 following extra time.

In a match marked by missed chances at both ends, defender Dean Faithfull’s missed penalty – the Mackay-based Miners’ fourth of the shoot-out – ultimately proved decisive.

Miners frontman Dan Corbett put the visitors in front on 29 minutes before his opposite number Sean Blackman equalised for Sunshine Coast on the hour; Tyson Holmes then headed the hosts in front in the 83^rd minute until Michael Leslie restored parity three minutes later.

Spurred on by their parochial home crowd, Sunshine Coast began the brighter of the two teams. However, despite dominating possession and field position for the opening ten minutes, Fire failed to fashion anything more than a half chance on goal.

Still settling into the contest, Miners produced the first genuine scoring opportunity of the afternoon when Jordan Corte nodded down Michael Zappone’s floated cross for the surging Mick Van Moolenbroek – the burly striker’s shot shaking the goal frame as it cannoned back off the left crook.

Fire continued to threaten though, with Holmes feeding well-weighted through-balls for Kaine Frew and Kevin A’Herne Evans on either side of goal near on 20 minutes, both subsequently spurning their shots.

Increasing in confidence, Fire continued to pester without threatening Miner’s goalkeeper Brad Moss before Frew’s 15 yard effort on 26 minutes forced the gloveman into a full-stretched finger-tip save.

On the half hour, and against the run of play, the visitors opened the scoring when Zappone fed Corbett with his back to goal near the penalty spot; the imposing striker utilising his strength to turn tightly before slotting his shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Shortly after, an increasingly frustrated Fire unsuccessfully pleaded for handball against Michael Leslie after Holmes’ volleyed shot was blocked on the goal line by the Miners centre back.

Whitsundays threatened to extend their lead on 36 minutes when a swift counter-attacking combination unleashed Corte down the left; however the winger’s right-footed shot spluttered agonisingly wide of the far post.

Fire then squandered the final chance to equalise before the interval when Blackman, in his final appearance for the club, headed wide at the far post from Henslee’s pin-point cross.

The second half started as the first ended, Blackman heading a cross from A’Herne-Evans over the cross bar from 10 yards.

The Miners came close again on 53 minutes when Corte slipped his marker, the left-sided winger then rounded the keeper before playing a squared ball just beyond the reach of the lunging Zappone at the far post.

Fire finally equalised on the hour. Fan favourite James Stinson turning a corner kick back across goal from the far post into a crowded penalty area where Blackman rose strongly to head home from five yards out.

Buoyed by their goal, Fire sought to capitalise on their momentum – substitute Alex Barlow cutting a swathe through a broken-down midfield before spraying an ambitious 20-yard attempt well over the top.

In the 69^th minute Holmes was foiled on the goal-line once more when the slightly-built Zappone stood tall at the far post to first deny and then clear Holmes’ well-turned header.

Miners created a well-worked chance on 75 minutes when Corte’s cut-back found Zappone bursting through the penalty box; however, despite controlling astutely at pace, the youngster’s shot was swiftly smothered by the alert keeping of Antony Hall.

Following sustained pressure, the home side finally pulled ahead on 83 minutes through Holmes - the attacking midfielder flat-footing the scrambling Moss by steering Stinson’s lobbed ball back across goal and into the far corner.

Not to be denied in their first grand final appearance, Miners levelled the scores three minutes later – Leslie rising highest against Ryan Smith and Stinson to nod a seemingly innocuous free kick in to the top corner of the net.

Both sides sniffed a chance to steal a winner in time added on; Fire unable to capitalise on a frantic goal mouth scramble before the ball broke at the other end for Van Moolenbroek, whose tepid shot was easily collected by Hall.

The Miners started the final half hour promisingly, substitute Joseph Civello receiving a decisive 30 yard pass from Corey Hooper on the left before blustering his shot high and wide from 12 yards.

Civello had a chance to make amends for his miss shortly after from a corner, but despite rising well in a crowded penalty square he couldn’t control his header, sending it over the bar.

The balance of the match was irrevocably altered in the 8^th minute of extra time when Matt Oldring’s clumsy two-footed challenge on Sam Knight earned the Miner a direct red card - Oldring lashing out at the fourth official’s table on his return to the dressing room.

Despite losing a man and facing sustained pressure, the Miners refused to buckle - Barlow coming closest to edging Sunshine Coast ahead when his 10 yard effort fizzed wide of the far post just before the end of the first extra period.

The impressive Zappone almost stole an improbable win for the visitors when he dispossessed Henslee in the Fire’s third, the impressive youngster only denied by the bravery of Hall who sprinted quickly off his line to block the ensuing shot.

The final ten minutes were all Sunshine Coast though as DeeJay Firth, Holmes and A’Herne-Evans all failed to capitalise on chances, ensuring the game would be decided by penalty shoot-out.

The match concluded five years of the Queensland State League. The competition will be replaced next year by the Australian Premier League.