Unruly weather has again interrupted the Queensland State League season in the so-called Sunshine State, reducing Round Seventeen to just a single fixture.
Football Queensland now face the unenviable task of revising an already packed schedule as previous rounds have similarly suffered from weather-enforced cancellations.
NQ Razorbacks 1 – 6 Brisbane Strikers
(Koppen 44’) (King 33’, 81’ Di Sipio 42’ Burke 56’ Thurtell 70’, 90+1’)
Star forward Matt Thurtell moved eleven goals clear at the top of the QSL golden boot tally with another brace at the weekend, helping Brisbane to a romping victory over North Queensland in Townsville.
Already ten points ahead of their faltering nearest challengers, Sunshine Coast Fire, at the league’s summit prior to the weekend, the Strikers’ five-goal win, coupled with the cancellation of all other round seventeen fixtures, has them now over four matches clear.
Unlike their fast-starts in recent outings, the visitors had to wait for over half an hour to open the scoring, which they eventually did so through Greg King; the winger grabbing his second in two weeks. King’s volley follow-up from Thurtell’s blocked free-kick was initially ruled offside until Hyundai A-League referee Alan Milliner reversed the decision in controversial circumstances. Chris Di Sipio continued his sparkling form by adding a second for Brisbane two minutes from the break although Bronson Koppen kept North Queensland in the contest by halving the deficit in the 44th minute.
Any hopes the Razorbacks had of salvaging a result, however, were dealt a severe blow shortly after the restart when the Strikers’ other winger, Sean Burke, chimed in with their third. Thurtell’s late brace sandwiched a long-range second from King, rounding out the league leaders’ second consecutive six-goal haul. While Brisbane seem untouchable at the summit, North Queensland will need a result away to the QAS next round to stay in touch with the top six.
Whitsunday Miners – BYE
Goals
25 – Matt Thurtell (Brisbane Strikers)
14 – Michael van Moolenbroek (Whitsunday Miners)
13 – Sander Waterland (Capricorn Cougars)
12 – Chris Di Sipio (Brisbane Strikers)
10 – Jamie Carroll (FNQ Bulls)
MVP Tally
14 – Clark Bradford (Whitsunday Miners)
14 – Jamie Carroll (FNQ Bulls)
14 – Matt Thurtell (Brisbane Strikers)
12 – Michael Angus (Brisbane Strikers)
10 – Reece Edmonds (NQ Razorbacks)
| Rank | Team | P | BYE | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane Strikers FC | 15 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 62 | 13 | 49 | 40 |
| 2 | Sunshine Coast Fire FC | 14 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 27 |
| 3 | FNQ Bulls FC | 14 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 32 | 19 | 13 | 25 |
| 4 | Whitsunday Miners FC | 14 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 32 | 31 | 1 | 25 |
| 5 | Capricorn Cougars FC | 14 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 32 | 35 | -3 | 15 |
| 6 | QAS Football | 13 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 27 | 32 | -5 | 15 |
| 7 | NQ Razorbacks FC | 14 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 26 | -8 | 15 |
| 8 | Bundaberg Spirit FC | 13 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 30 | -10 | 12 |
| 9 | Gold Coast | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 58 | -52 | 1 |
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