Olympic FC champions after shootout stunner

Olympic FC completed the NPL Queensland premiership-championship double at Goodwin Park on Sunday, fighting from 2-0 down in the Grand Final to overcome Brisbane City on penalties.

Captain Danny Byrne sunk both Olympic FC's equalising and matchwinning penalties. Photo: Keith Eigeland (Football Queensland)

Hosts Olympic scored twice in the final ten minutes before the two sides traded a goal apiece in extra-time, meaning penalties were required to split Queensland's top two teams.

Despite the significant impediment of being without golden boot winner Antonio Murray - missing with a knee problem - it was the visitors Brisbane City, bringing a large contingent of support across town, who struck first following a cagey opening contested largely in midfield.

Dangerous wide men Alistair Pase and Nathan Bird were tasked with more prominent roles in Murray's absence and the pair combined in the 20th minute to put City into a surprise lead: defender Yoshi Sakurai was allowed to stride from defence and pick out Bird centrally who, after the ball was worked right to Pase, continued forward and headed his fellow winger's cross home from close.

The premiers were forced to repel a trio of efforts shortly thereafter - one a Mario Aparicio save and two Jack Petrie clearances off the line - but were unable to resist the pressure of the league runners-up any longer than nine minutes into the second-half.

City were contesting their third Grand Final of the day after losing out to the QAS on penalties in the U18s but romping to a 4-0 win over SWQ Thunder in the U20s and seemed destined for a second championship when Pase was adjudged to have been illegally pushed to the ground inside the penalty area.

Former Brisbane Roar youth Ken Dougall stepped up and tucked his effort low to the left for a 2-0 advantage.

Olympic have become known for prevailing in high-scoring matches, though, and the introduction of attacker Matt Heath and midfielder Luke Howell, coupled with a reconfigured left-side of Kazuya Ito and Jai Ingham, sparked the turnaround.


It was the substitute Heath who made the first breakthrough after he had gone close twice in a few minutes. The speedster, playing centrally alongside Tim Smits, completed an almost identical goal to City's opener when he pounced on to head in Danny Byrne's cross in the 80th minute.

The home crowd had come to life and true to the script Ingham, by this time growing into the game's greatest danger, linked with Ito and was also knocked to the floor, winning an 85th minute penalty which captain Byrne converted coolly to send the Grand Final into extra-time.

Ingham resumed the drama in the 98th minute when he burst through the visitors’ defence but put his shot onto the crossbar, though Olympic only had to wait less than a minute into the second-half of extra-time for their first lead of the match.

Ito, shuffled as mentioned to left-back, ventured forward and received Smits' ball in behind before sliding a neat finish inside the far post.

The already epic encounter became something of a neverending story seven minutes later when City skipper Matt Biggins added to his wholehearted performance with a 112th minute equaliser, looping a header into the far corner to inspire his side into a penalty shootout.

Contrary to the mesmerising nature of the unpredictable 120 minutes which proceeded them, the decisive spot kicks all favoured the hosts as a pair of City misses and Aparicio's commanding save allowed Jake McLean, Kazuya Ito and finally Danny Byrne, the captain and long-serving senior squad member, to seal a momentous championship for Olympic FC.

Olympic FC 3 (Heath 80′ D. Byrne p.85′ Ito 106′)
Brisbane City 3 (Bird 20′ Dougall p.54′ Biggins 112′)

P: Olympic FC 3 - 0 Brisbane City
McLean [x] Ito [x] D. Byrne [x]
Dougall [] Bird [] Biggins []

Olympic FC: 1. Mario APARICIO (gk), 2. Matt BYRNE, 12. Nick EFSTATHIS, 6. Matt MUNDY, 7. Daniel CRACK, 5. Kazuya ITO, 8. Jack PETRIE, 18. Jake McLEAN, 14. Jai INGHAM, 9. Tim SMITS, 10. Danny BYRNE (c)

Subs: 23. Matt LUGO (gk), 3. Joey FIELDS, 17. Luke HOWELL, 13. David BOWATER, 11. Matt HEATH

Brisbane City: 1. Matt STEIN (gk), 3. Luca JANNESE, 15. Yoshi SAKURAI, 2. Luca PERRICO, 5. Cameron TEW, 6. Jae-Joo YOUNG, 4. Ken DOUGALL, 8. Matt BIGGINS (c), 7. Nathan BIRD, 13. Daniel SHAROV, 11. Alistair PASE

Subs: 30. Kevin DOWNES (gk), 10. Dean LE PETIT, 12. Jayke CUSCHIERI, 14. Matthew RIGGS, 16. Nick BUCKLEY