PS4 NPL Queensland Round 16 Review

Brisbane Strikers have reignited the premiership chase following a dramatic 3-2 win over ladder leaders Gold Coast City at a vocal Perry Park on Saturday night.

Strikers stage heroic comeback win

Strikers led early through a Hiroki Omori piece of brilliance that would set the tone for an eventful top of the table clash.

Gold Coast came out from the half-time break full of energy with Jarrod Kyle notching a brace in the opening minutes to stun the reigning premiers.

Strikers regained momentum as the half wore on, continuously asking questions of the sturdy City defence, who held out until the 81st minute when Gregory Cheshire pounced on a Sam Knight cross to level the score.

With premiership hopes in the balance it was Jake Mclean who rose to the occasion with an outrageous, ice-cool winner that floated into the top corner from 18-yards for a last-gasp winner.

Strikers now sit two points adrift of Gold Coast in the hunt for top of table honours.

Gold Coast will hope to solidify that two-point gap in Round 17 when they host Redlands United whilst Strikers head to the Sunshine Coast to face bottom of the ladder Fire.

CLICK HERE for the full match report.

 

Redlands snatch last-gasp win

A late penalty has handed Redlands United only their third win of the season in Mackay.

Jake Perry’s 84th minute equaliser appeared to have snatched a point for the Northern Fury but Alexander Warrilow converted a spot kick minutes later to earn the Reds a long-awaited victory.

The Fury had the better of the chances in the opening half, but neither side were able to break the deadlock before the break.

Again, both teams had their opportunities after the interval and it took until after the hour mark for Luke Hendrix to open the scoring for the visitors.

The hosts, who had the opportunity to climb into seventh with a win, fought for an equaliser which came with less than 10 minutes to play.

It would prove inadequate however as Perry gifted the Reds the lead, and the ensuing victory, in the 86th minute.

The Fury will now test their luck against the other of the bottom two sides in SWQ Thunder in Toowoomba while Redlands face the toughest test in the league – away to Gold Coast City.

CLICK HERE for the full match report.

 

Sawyer propels Pride to victory

Harrison Sawyer has notched his second consecutive hat-trick in a 4-2 Western Pride home win against Brisbane City on Saturday night.

Sam Sibatuara opened the account in the initial minutes for City, who were wanting to head back to Brisbane with a result, to remain within striking distance of the top four sides.

In-form Pride striker Sawyer dashed those hopes with a first-half hat-trick to hand the Pride their first back-to-back wins of 2017.

Owain Thomas gave City a faint hope in the second half with a neat finish, but Pride substitute Dylan Wenzel-Halls calmly slotted past City goalkeeper Bon Scott to extend the winning margin.

Sawyer has now tallied three hat-tricks in five PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland matches to spark Pride’s resurgence up the ladder.

Western Pride host Moreton Bay United in their Round 17 clash, John Kosmina will look for his side to rebound when they travel to meet Brisbane Roar Youth next weekend. 

CLICK HERE for the full match report.

 

Jets held by Heat

Moreton Bay United has missed a golden opportunity to climb in the top four after being held to a 1-1 draw by FNQ FC Heat.

The fifth-placed Jets would have leaped their fourth-placed opponents with a win, but a 52nd minute strike from Kyusub Bang wasn’t enough as the Heat secured an important point on the road.

The visitors got off to the perfect start when they ball spilled out to Scott Sargent who finished coolly past Paul Mikula after eight minutes.

The two sides shared opportunities throughout the remainder of the opening stanza but inaccuracy cost both outfits.

The Jets had an equaliser shortly after the restart as Bang reaped the benefits of a half-cleared free kick to fire his side back into the contest.

The Heat had a great opportunity to restore their advantage as Chris O’Hare went agonisingly close, only denied by the fingertips of Riley Stent and the crossbar.

Riley Campbell had two chances at the death to snatch a win for the hosts, but it wasn’t to be as both sides take a point each from a pulsating encounter.

CLICK HERE for the full match report.

 

Thunder too powerful for Roar

SWQ Thunder can be pleased with a very good showing at home, overcoming Brisbane Roar Youth 3-1 on a chilly Toowoomba afternoon at Clive Berghofer Stadium.

Thomas Fanning's fourth strike of the season, paired with two important saves in the first half by Luke MacDonald, gave the home team a good platform for the match.

Young Roar hit back in the second half through Nathan Yoon but any chance of a comeback was halted when Thunder’s Josh Frost struck the football 40 yards into the top left corner, four minutes after Yoon's strike.

The win will give Thunder confidence going into next week’s home match against Northern Fury. Meanwhile, Roar Youth will host Brisbane City next Saturday. 

CLICK HERE for the full match report.

 

Olympic display their class

Brisbane Olympic comfortably outplayed Sunshine Coast on their way to a thrilling 8-0 home win at Goodwin Park on Sunday night.

The hosts saw this match as an opportunity to narrow the gap between themselves, second placed Brisbane Strikers, and league leaders Gold Coast City. This result lifts Olympic just three points shy of top spot. 

Danny Byrne was a threat all night, picking up two assists and two goals of his own, an outstanding performance fitting for this occasion, his 100th match. 

Olympic were not short of star power during the game as Ramone Close, bagged a 10-minute hat-trick to help his side go into the break six goals ahead. 

Costa Psaros also featured heavily in this fixture, splitting Fire’s defensive line consistently, picking up three assists and two goals.

Sunshine Coast will take lessons from this match as they return home in preparation for next week's game against Strikers. As for the home side, they will look forward to another home game next week against fourth-placed FNQ Heat.

CLICK HERE for the full match report.