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NPL Queensland: Strikers settle eight-goal squeaker

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The standout match of the round rained goals and new club Moreton Bay made it two from two in Round Two of the NPL Queensland.

A-League fans will be quick to note a triumphant first victory for the reformed Northern Fury amongst the weekend's results.


Redlands United 2 (Brattan 67' Fyfe 81')
FNQ Heat 0

Two second-half goals were enough for the much-fancied Redlands United to see of a determined Far North Queensland and record their first three points of the campaign.

A first-half in which chances fell both ways and Redlands reacted angrily to Jamie Carroll's late challenge on 'keeper Mitch O'Brien went goalless, and it wasn't until the 67th minute that Zak Brattan headed the Devils in front from a well-worked corner move.

Despite the heroics of their 'keeper Mike Breckenridge, keeping the BPL winners to a single goal could only last so long for the visitors as they eventually conceded a second in the final ten minutes from the individual class of goalscoring Redlands midfielder Graham Fyfe.


The result leaves both teams equal on three points, with FNQ ahead in seventh on goals scored.

Palm Beach Sharks 0
Western Pride 1
(Dragar 81')

One Peter Dragar goal was all it took for Western Pride to notch their first win as a club, downing Palm Beach at the Mallawa Complex on Sunday.

Former Ipswich Knights striker Dragar, back-to-back golden boot winner of the Capital League 1, hit the winner in the 81st minute for his second of the season and the club's third.

The loss means the Sharks are one of two teams to go pointless from the opening two rounds, placing significance on next weekend's match against the QAS in Brisbane.

CQ Energy 1 
Northern Fury 6 (Kelly 10', 53' Navarro 16' Isman 66' Richards 75' Edds 80')

Central Queensland are well within danger of becoming the easybeats of the NPL Queensland after shipping six goals at home to Northern Fury on Saturday night.

When Gareth Edds completed Fury's half dozen, it was the thirteenth away goal the home support of Jardine Park had suffered through - following last weekend's 7-0 battering from Sunshine Coast. The visitors led by only two at the break but, despite going down to ten with Corey Waples' sending off midway through the first half, they added four more after the restart to consign Energy's lone goal to being the slightest of consolations. Steamrolling their opposition to a comprehensive victory should banish Fury's demons of last week, when another dismissal cost them a shot at their first points.

Player-coach Edds will next lead his team south to meet Moreton Bay, while Central Queensland travel for the first time to Redlands.

Brisbane City 3 (Murray 8' Riggs 10' Frazier pen 75')
Brisbane Strikers 5 (King 20' Cokell 46' Robinson 57' Hews 79' Thurtell 90+2')

Saturday night's focus on Spencer Park was wholly justified with an eight-goal corker between two former NSL clubs.

City striker Antonio Murray's genius lob from inside the penalty handed the hosts the lead before before a shock second was added in the tenth minute as Ken Dougall's precise cross was headed home superbly by Matthew Riggs.

Strikers pulled one back in the 20th minute through Greg King's long-range, top-corner special and it proved to be their tonic with two goals coming in quick succession after the break, first from Ryan Cokell and then captain Nick Robinson.

If five goals hadn't already confirmed the match's rollercoaster status, the final fifteen minutes certainly did. Eric Frazier won and converted a penalty for City which also resulted in the straight dismissal of Strikers defender Corey Hooper. At 3-3 and a man down, David Large's side might have decided it was time to preserve a point; instead, 36-year-old club legend Chay Hews unleashed a thunderbolt into the top corner to regain the lead just four minutes after the equaliser.

Sloppy defending in stoppage time then allowed Matt Thurtell to steal in for his first of the season and ensure a memorable second win of the season for Brisbane Strikers, who will be greatly buoyed by their resilience in a derby win.

Sunshine Coast 1 (Dwyer 14')
Moreton Bay United 2 (Dodd 48' Capello 79')

Moreton Bay pulled off the upset of the round on Sunday by coming from a goal down to beat the QSL champions at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

Former A-League defender Karl Dodd equalised from close-range for the Jets early in the second period before Matthew Capello sealed an historic result for Moreton Bay as the game ticked towards its conclusion.

Leon Dwyer had earlier given Fire a 14th minute lead, though that was all the dominant force of the QSL could muster from a match which leaves them three points off the pace.

Newcomers Moreton Bay, based at Albany Creek's Wolter Park, are now flying in equal first and will be eyeing off a third straight victory at home to Fury next weekend.

Olympic FC 5 (Smits 27' 37' Fisk 43' MacLean 68' Ingham 78')
QAS 0

Tim Smits' second and third goals of the season helped Olympic to another heavy victory in the round's final fixture at Goodwin Park.

Smits has long been prolific in Brisbane's local and state leagues and a double inside thirty-seven minutes put his side on the path to a regulation win over the Queensland Academy of Sport. Further goals from Mark Fisk, former Roar youth Jake MacLean and Jai Ignham sealed the 5-0 result. With the likes of Matt Mundy, Ross Archibald, Daniel Byrne and Alex Panic to call on, Olympic have begun the season in a manner befitting their talent.

The QAS, meanwhile, will be hopeful of finding some rhythm amongst their new crop of youngsters as weekly fixtures instil more experience.