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Wolves FC kicked it all off with a thumping win on Friday night while Rochedale and Lions also enjoyed comfortable victories. The other three matches went down to the wire; Capalaba, Albany Creek and Logan snatching vital victories.
Wolves FC 8-0 University of Queensland
Wolves FC humiliated UQ 8-0 at Carmichael Park with Kado Aoci bagging four goals against a hapless students backline.
Everyone will be talking about…
The margin of victory. Four goals down at half-time, UQ failed to learn from their mistakes and were caught out time and time again by a relentless Wolves.
Yeah, but what happened?
Nathan Reardon got the scoring under way with a powerful drive that was soon followed by a precision finish from Alex Janovsky. UQ’s defensive line crumbled under pressure and an own goal coupled with Aoci’s first marked the end of the half. The domination continued in the second period as Aoci slotted a penalty and theen his third and fourth either side of James Richards’ first BPL goal.
The numbers:
Wolves: Reardon ’12, Janovsky ’18, Own Goal ’28, Aoci ’35, ‘57 (p), ’64, ’73, Richards ‘66
Looking ahead...
Wolves are on a run of three straight wins and in hot scoring form ahead of their trip to Logan next week. With two goals scored and seventeen conceded, UQ find themselves in deep trouble and already look out of depth. A result at home to Ipswich will be crucial for morale.
Capalaba 3-2 Brisbane Force
Capalaba held off a resurgent second half comeback from Brisbane Force to record their second win of the season and climb within two points off the top four.
Everyone will be talking about…
Force’s late run for an equaliser. Seemingly down and out at 0-3 after 50 minutes, the visitors almost completed a remarkable comeback after two quick goals either side of the hour mark.
Yeah, but what happened?
Capalaba were gifted the perfect start when a defensive lapse led to a Force own goal in the fifth minute. Xavier Lopez doubled the hosts’ lead on the stroke of halftime – a fair indication of Capalaba’s first half dominance. The contest looked over when Antony Schiavo struck a third shortly after the restart but Force were soon back in it with goals from Travis Jackson and Lachlan Munn. Ultimately, the visitors failed to break through for an equaliser in the final 25 minutes but they’ll take a lot of positives from a fighting performance.
The numbers:
Capalaba: Own Goal ‘5, Lopez ’45, Schiavo ‘51
Force: Jackson ’59, Munn ‘64
Looking ahead...
Capalaba can break into the top four with a victory at Peninsula Power next week while Force continue their quest for a first BPL point when they host Easts.
Rochedale Rovers 4-2 Peninsula Power
A first half onslaught on Power’s goal paved the way for Rochedale to enter familiar territory and slot into the top four for the first time this season.
Everyone will be talking about…
Rovers’ dynamic start to the game. What many predicted would be a game of small margins was blown out early on as Rochedale stormed to a 3-0 lead within twenty minutes.
Yeah, but what happened?
Rochedale were simply a class above their opponents in the opening stanza. Goals by Chris Maher and Cody Lovell inside ten minutes shell-shocked the visitors and Rhys Hastings soon increased the margin. Power settled the game’s tempo but could not prevent Terry Hughes adding salt to their wounds with a fourth before the hour mark. Consolation goals from Jordon Lowdon and Michael Butters made the score more respectable, but not the overall performance.
The numbers:
Rochedale: Maher ‘7, Lovell ’10, Hastings ’19, Hughes ‘58
Power: Lowdon ’65, Butters ‘90
Looking ahead...
Rochedale face an easy game on paper when they travel to a winless North Star while Power should face a stern test at home to Capalaba.
Ipswich Knights 1-2 Albany Creek
A frantic late flurry of goals saw Albany Creek take all three points from Ipswich in front of a packed Eric Evans Oval.
Everyone will be talking about…
Albany Creek’s smash-and-grab in the dying moments. Excelsior first took the lead with ten minutes to go and then compounded the hosts’ misery with the winner soon after.
Yeah, but what happened?
A fruitless contest came to life in the 79th minute when Mitchell Bevan opened the scoring for Albany Creek from the edge of the box. Solid defending from both sides up to that moment meant a lone goal would probably be enough to seal it but Excelsior added a second through a quality Matt Needham finish. Ipswich through bodies forward in desperation but Tambwe Sadick’s stoppage time goal came too late.
The numbers:
Ispwich: Sadick ‘90
Albany Creek: Bevan ’79, Needham ‘88
Looking ahead...
Ipswich will be livid with this result and hungry to compensate when they travel to an out-of-sorts UQ side. Albany Creek maintain their perfect start in the top flight and will host fellow table toppers Lions FC in the round’s blockbuster.
Eastern Suburbs 1-2 Logan Lightning
A Phillip Randall brace gave Logan their first win of the season and denied Easts a place in the top four.
Everyone will be talking about…
Logan’s gradual improvement. After two losses in the opening two rounds of the season and conceding a heart-breaking equaliser to Capalaba in Round Four, this time Logan held on for their first three points in 2013.
Yeah, but what happened?
A quiet tempo to the first half was overturned in the dying stages with Logan threatening with a string of chances. After coming close from a corner moments before, Phil Randall rose to head the visitors in front on the stroke of half time. Easts hit back immediately after the restart; Carter Glockner weaving past the Logan defence and squaring for Jordan Farina to smash in the equaliser at the far post. Both sides enjoyed chances after that but it was Randall’s aerial dominance that proved the difference, his second header proving the winner.
The numbers:
Easts: Farina ‘47
Logan: Randal ’45, ‘70
Looking ahead...
Easts will be favourites when they travel to a pointless Brisbane force next week while Logan will try and keep momentum going in a tough encounter at home to Wolves
Lions FC 4-2 North Star
Lions maintained their flawless start to the season and top spot on the ladder with a convincing display at home to North Star.
Everyone will be talking about…
North Star’s resurgence with ten men. In the typical manner of football unpredictability, North Star struck twice after going down to ten men and already trailing 4-0.
Yeah, but what happened?
Lions dominated the middle of the park and their defence was rarely tested in a one-sided first half. Steven Chester and Andrew Butler made their possession count on the scoreboard with the game’s two opening goals. Pablo Aviles struck a third soon after the restart and when Dylan Milne was sent off on the hour, it looked like the score might get out of hand for Star. The early signs confirmed this as Greg Thomas notched his side’s fourth soon after. But against all odds North Star rose to the challenge and had themselves a penalty in the 68th minute. Robert Buhmann converted and barely two minutes later the home side was stunned as Matthew Zappone scored to bring the margin back to two goals. To their credit, Lions killed off Star’s momentum and made sure that was the last time the scoreboard changed.
The numbers:
Lions: Chester ’15, Butler ‘39, Aviles ’56, Thomas ‘64
North Star: Buhmann ‘68 (p), Zappone ‘70
Looking ahead...
First meets second when Lions travel to Albany Creek for a Saturday afternoon blockbuster, while it doesn’t get easier for North Star, who host an in-form Rochedale.
| POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lions FC | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 12 |
| 2 | Albany Creek | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 12 |
| 3 | Wolves FC | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 13 | 9 |
| 4 | Rochedale Rovers | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 9 |
| 5 | Capalaba | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 7 |
| 6 | Eastern Suburbs | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| 7 | Peninsula Power | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 6 |
| 8 | Ipswich Knights | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 6 |
| 9 | Logan Lightning | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 4 |
| 10 | Brisbane Force | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 0 |
| 11 | North Star | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 0 |
| 12 | UQ FC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 17 | -15 | 0 |
Round Six Fixture
Peninsula Power v Capalaba, 7:45pm Friday 12 April, AJ Kelly Park
UQ FC v Ipswich Knights, 3:15pm Saturday 13 April, University of QLD
Albany Creek v Lions FC, 5pm Saturday 13 April, Wolter Park
Logan Lightning v Wolves FC, 6:45pm Saturday 13 April, Cornubia Park
Brisbane Force v Eatsern Suburbers, 7pm Saturday 13 April, CJ Greenfield Reserve
North Star v Rochedale Rovers, 4pm Sunday 14 April, O'Callaghan Park