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It was a series of results which saw Olympic FC move six points clear in first while the two northern clubs both managed victories.
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| Credit: Football Queensland |
Brisbane Strikers 2 (King 45' Taylor 90+3')
A first-half Palm Beach blitz relegated Brisbane Strikers to a second consecutive defeat on Saturday evening with the hosts holding on at Mallawa Complex despite a late Strikers comeback.
Creative spark Alex Panic was the early instigator of the Sharks' upset with a brace prior to the half-hour mark, and he was joined on the scoresheet by one-time Sydney FC forward and developing strike partner Jarrod Kyle shortly thereafter.
Strikers' Greg King continued his hot scoring form from the wing this season with a long-range seventh goal in nine matches moments before the break, but it wasn't until deep in stoppage time when Josh Taylor, in the absence of the injured Matt Thurtell, struck that they managed a second.
Palm Beach duly preserved their lead to stay within reach of mid-table and drop their visitors down to fourth.
Moreton Bay United Jets 1 (Brownlie 61')
Olympic FC 3 (Byrne 6', 90+4' Heath 83')
Olympic FC capitalised on the points dropped by their nearest competitors in the second of Saturday's matches to crack open a six-point lead at the top in edging past Moreton Bay at Wolter Park.
Two goals beyond the 80-minute mark sealed a hard-fought victory for the league-leaders as it looked as though Royce Brownlie's 61st minute equaliser might have secured a point for Moreton Bay, who were chasing a place in the top six.
Captain Danny Byrne had earlier given Olympic a dream start on their visit to Brisbane's northern suburbs and slashed the Jets' hopes of a late leveller with a second in the 94th minute, adding to the impact of young winger and substitute Matt Heath.
Northern Fury 4 (Edds pen 34' Read 51', 72' Navarro 86')
Redlands United 2 (Way 47', 53')
Redlands United slipped six points behind pacesetters Olympic on Saturday night as Northern Fury put four past the league's second-placed side at the Townsville Sports Reserve.
Fury Player/Coach Gareth Edds restored himself to the starting eleven and had an immediate impact for his young side by handing them a first-half lead from the penalty spot.
The six minutes following the resumption saw Redlands back in contention from Reuben Way's quickfire double - his tenth and eleventh goals of the season - drawing the Devils level prior to the hour mark despite Alex Read also netting.
That was all the notice the hosts needed to re-ignite their push for a third victory, and undefeated record, in four home matches with Read notching a second and centre-forward Jake Navarro adding late polish, ensuring the former A-League club's elevation to sixth.
Western Pride 6 (Drager 30', 60', 90+3' Woodruffe 40', pen 45' Jordan 57')
CQFC Energy 2 (Waterland 24' Crowley 83')
Local hero Peter Drager slammed an evenly-spaced hattrick to fire Western Pride to their third and most emphatic victory of the campaign in Saturday's final fixture.
The Ipswich product has adjusted well to NPL life after consistent seasons of goalscoring at Eric Evans Reserve and produced that quality once more against Central Queensland with goals on the half-hour, hour and final whistle.
CQ would have expected more when Sander Waterland side-volleyed home a sharp move for an Energy lead, but a pair of close-range finishes from Drager and attack partner Russell Woddruffe, plus a penalty from the latter, swung the match heavily into Pride's favour by half-time.
Will Jordan's classy dribble and finish notched a fourth for the Ipswich side, added to by a further double from Drager; the loping striker's neat footwork first allowed him to follow-up on Aaron Christensen's incisive dribble, before he completed the treble by again positioning himself well to nod in Woodruffe's cross.
Braydon Crowley's first of the season was a small consolation for CQ but ultimately one that has no bearing on their last-placed position.
Sunshine Coast FC 0
Brisbane City 1 (Murray 85')
Antonio Murray's goal-fuelled campaign for an A-League contract received another boost at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday as the lethal striker scored the winner in Brisbane City's most important win of the season.
Murray's 85th minute goal punished Kevin Aherne-Evans' Fire team, who possess the stingiest defence in the league, on the ladder as well as the pitch by lifting City above their weekend hosts and into third with a match in hand.
Sunshine Coast, meanwhile, fell to fifth, two points off the top four and needing to find the attacking verve of their free-scoring opponents above.
QAS 2 (Ronto 42' Schiavo 90+2')
FNQ Heat 3 (Carroll pen 35', pen 56', 76')
A hattrick from Far North Queensland's Jamie Carroll, assisted by two penalties, secured the Cairns club a 3-2 win over the Queensland Academy of Sport at Meakin Park.
The final match of the round pitted eleventh against ninth on Brisbane's south side, making Heat's victory and Carroll's influential performance all the more impressive given the distance of travel involved.
The 2012 QSL MVP runner-up made his mark through the middle part of the match with three goals, meaning Alex Schiavo's late header wouldn't keep FNQ from recording a second victory in the state capital in three weeks.