Round Seven of the National Premier Leagues Queensland was a roaring success for the weekend’s favourites as the top five all enjoyed victories.
The league had its most productive scoring round to date as an average of 5.3 goals were plundered per match.
QAS 0
Brisbane City 2 (Murray 51′, 64′)
Another Antonio Murray brace, taking his goal tally to eleven in five matches, inspired Brisbane City to an expected two-goal victory over the QAS on Saturday night.
The match was played as the lead-in of the Wolter Park double-header but Murray was again a star attraction, netting twice after the break to ensure his teammates’ clean sheet effort was rewarded.
The Academy’s task was made particularly difficult with a player dismissed between the hitman’s twin strikes, curbing their chances of snatching just a second point all season.
City, meanwhile, have climbed promisingly into fifth, three points from Sunshine Coast but with a match in hand.
Moreton Bay Jets 2 (South 32′ McEvoy 36′)
FNQ Heat 3 (Murphy 1′ Sabbadin 28′ Carroll 54′)
Far North Queensland overcame the concession of a two-goal lead to claim a valuable three points from their trip to Moreton Bay United’s Wolter Park.
Former FNQ Bulls star Jamie Carroll hit the matchwinner nine minutes after the break for Heat, ensuring a quickfire two goals from Jets pair Joshua South and Michael McEvoy would only temporarily draw the hosts level.
FNQ are now just two points from seventh-placed Moreton Bay, who will look to arrest a three-match losing streak away to Central Queensland this weekend.
CQ Energy 3 (Waterland 23′ Geddes pen 32′ Miller pen 89′)
Olympic FC 9 (Ingham 2′ Archibald 9′ OG 26′ Smits 45+1′, 71′, 77′ Byrne 49′ Tabulo 68′ Heath 88′)
Top-of-the-table Olympic demolished Central Queensland at Rugby Park on Saturday night to stay first on the ladder and remain undefeated this season.
Not even the confidence gained from their first win of the season last round could assist CQ in halting Olympic’s momentum as the visitors netted twice the opening ten minutes.
A rollercoaster opening stanza ensued with Energy twice pulling to within a goal, but Tim Smits’ first of the night, on the stroke of half-time, set the tone for a second-half that Olympic dominated.
Smits’ eventual hattrick again put him equal with City hotshot Antonio Murray on eleven goals, and left CQ still struggling in 11th.
Sunshine Coast FC 2 (Dwyer 1′ Bechar 80′)
Northern Fury 1 (Navarro 49′)
Two goals split seventy minutes apart bookended a hard-fought 2-1 victory for Sunshine Coast over Northern Fury.
The second of two Sunday fixtures immediately continued the round’s theme of goals when Leon Dwyer put Fire ahead in the opening minute.
From there, though, the scoreline was affected less frequently than had become common as just two goals were shared, an equaliser for front-man Jake Navarro and Nico Bechar’s late Sunshine Coast winner.
The dominant force of the QSL sit neatly in fourth with three points separating them both above and below, while Fury have dropped one place to sixth.
Western Pride 0
Brisbane Strikers 4 (Thurtell 10′ King 38′ Richter 45+1′ Taylor 72′)
Western Pride’s poor form continued at the North Ipswich Reserve on Sunday as they were beaten comprehensively by a rapidly-improving Brisbane Strikers.
Strikers were one of only two teams to keep a clean sheet in Round 7 and also added four of their own against a ten-man Pride, the home side having lost player-coach Kasey Wehrman to a red card prior to Greg King’s 38th minute goal.
Further goals came from winger Jonti Richter and striker Josh Taylor for Strikers, keeping them within a point of first.
Palm Beach Sharks 4 (Kyle 61′ Lucas 82′, pen 88′ Rodriguez 89′)
Redlands United 7 (Way 2′, 40′ Barbarouses 32′ Fyfe 35′, 56′, pen 81′, Macuace 63′)
Not even a final ten-minute salvo in which they struck three goals could save Palm Beach from losing by the same margin to Redlands on Sunday evening.
It was the Sharks’ second loss at their Mallawa Complex home in a matter of days having fallen to Sunshine Coast on ANZAC Day, but that 3-1 defeat was gentle in comparison to the seven goals Redlands put past the bottom-four side.
The Devils were boosted by a familiar source of goals in attacking trio Graham Fyfe, Reuben Way and Jheison Macuace sharing six between them, joined on the scoresheet by a George Barbarouses goal which helped the visitors to an insurmountable 4-0 half-time lead.
Redlands stayed second with the three points, while Palm Beach dropped to ninth.
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