Round 11 Senior Match Report - Fire v North Queensland

The dominant form of the Sunshine Coast Fire is showing no signs of abating, as the club recorded a commanding 3-1 win over the North Queensland Razorbacks on Sunday.

A goal three minutes into the game from Tyson Holmes set the tone, before Holmes and Shaun Blackman added two more after the break. Joshua Evans netted a consolation goal for the Razorbacks, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Fire from notching their seventh win of the season.

The match kicked off under blue skies at Gympie’s One Mile Ovals, and the Fire took the advantage in one of their first moves forward. James Verdin won a free-kick on the left sideline 30 yards out from goal, and Holmes stepped up to take the kick. The skipper hit a flat cross toward the far post that eluded everyone, including Razorbacks keeper Ryan Chellingworth, and nestled in the top corner.

After the dream start, the Sunshine Coast looked eager to press on and set about dominating possession. Chellingworth was again called upon when he got down well to save a dipping volley from Leon Dwyer after 10 minutes.

Although behind on the scoreboard, North Queensland were battling their way into the contest. Jacob Crowley moved well down the middle of the pitch, beating two challenges before scooping a shot over the bar from 20 yards out.

Both defences were very much on top as the first half wore on, with chances few and far between. A well-worked move from the Fire gave Jason Hicks an opportunity, but the last defender did well to block Hicks’ shot.

With half-time looming, North Queensland created some of their best chances of the match. Ben Richardson connected sweetly with a free kick from just outside the penalty area, but Antony Hall acrobatically tipped the shot over the bar. From the corner kick, Hall was again called upon to punch away Robin Edwards’ header, and keep the Fire a goal up at the break.

The young North Queensland side looked to increase their intensity early in the second half, with a free-kick from Lee Mayberry parried away for a corner by Hall.

Up the other end, the Sunshine Coast continued to look dangerous on the ball. Sam Knight won possession and raced along the right byline, slipping a pass across the face of goal that Chellingworth managed to cut out.

On 58 minutes, the Fire found themselves two goals ahead. Hicks had possession on the left flank, before spotting Holmes in yards of space on the edge of the area and slipping a pass to him. Holmes expertly found the bottom corner with a low shot to double the advantage and give the Fire some breathing space.

With the game slipping away from the Razorbacks, the visitors were still managing to cause some headaches in defence for the Fire, as Jae Eurell launched a shot from distance that Hall was forced to punch away for a corner.

On 72 minutes, the game was over as a contest as Shaun Blackman scored a third for the Fire. Tyson Holmes was released inside the penalty area, and settled on the right byline. He chipped a delicate cross toward Blackman at the far post, who made no mistake with his free header.

Although a result was now well beyond their reach, the Razorbacks pegged one back in stylish fashion through Joshua Evans. Following a corner, the ball fell sweetly for Evans on 18 yards, who cracked a powerful volley home at the near post to restore some pride for the visitors.

Jason Hicks and Tyson Holmes both had late chances to add to the tally, but in the end the Fire settled for a 3-1 victory. The result leaves the Sunshine Coast eight points clear of the Brisbane Strikers in second place, although the Strikers have a game in hand.

Coach Richard Hudson was happy to see his side once again control a close game.

“It was quite a competitive game, not a pretty game to watch. They came to get the points, and played some good football against us. The first half we played with a new formation that we haven’t played with this season, and we changed it in the second half, which seemed to suit us better - we put away the chances when they came to us. We’re pleased with the result overall, we outbattled them and came away with the win.”

The Sunshine Coast Fire will play their first home game at the new Stockland Park Stadium next Sunday, as the side hosts the Queensland Academy of Sport. With state-of-the-art facilities, the players will be looking forward to settling in at their new home. Kick-off is set for 2pm on Sunday, June 5.

Also upcoming is the Fire’s annual clash with the Brisbane Roar, as part of the Roar’s preseason Roadshow. The matches between the sides have been very entertaining in previous years, and the all-conquering Roar will be looking to put on a show. The match is scheduled for June 12 at Stockland Park Stadium, and more information will be given as it comes to light.

FINAL SCORE:  Sunshine Coast FC – 3 (Holmes, 3, 58, Blackman, 72)

                      North Queensland Razorbacks – 1 (Evans, 84)

Round 11 Under-19 Match Report - Sunshine Coast v Gympie Fire

Only a week after notching the first win in the team’s history, the Gympie Fire have sprung an upset by defeating the Sunshine Coast Under-19s 1-0 in a tight contest at One Mile Ovals.

Dean Feldmeier’s second-half strike was enough for Gympie to consign the Sunshine Coast to their first loss of the season, highlighting the improvement that Gympie has made since the start of the season.

It was obvious from the opening minutes that there would be no love lost between the two Fire sides, with tackles flying thick and fast. Both sides looked desperate to get on top in the midfield battle, and the early minutes were played largely in the middle of the park.

For the Sunshine Coast, Rhys Roberts had the first chance of the game, as he headed into the side netting following a corner. Soon after, Gympie’s Tim Hollingworth found space in the penalty area and took a shot, but Sam Nickolls didn’t have to move to make the save.

There were eight goals scored the last time the two teams met, but neither side was looking likely to break the deadlock this time around. For the Sunshine Coast, Andy Harrison moved well down the left flank, beating two challenges and forcing a corner. From the corner, James Stinson missed the target at the far post.

Soon after, Harrison swung in a corner for Mitch Broom, but Broom’s header lacked power and was easy picking for Josh Dennis in goal for the Gympie Fire.

With half-time approaching, Gympie broke well down the middle of the pitch and Jarod Healy got a clear sight of goal, but Nickolls was up to the challenge.

The half finished scoreless, with neither side able to stamp their superiority on the contest – after managing four goals to half-time the last time the sides met, the Sunshine Coast Fire would have realised that their Gympie counterparts are a much improved outfit.

Substitute Kota Shibahashi almost scored immediately after the half-time break for the Sunshine Coast, but pulled his shot across the face of goal. Soon after, James Stinson forced a quality save from Dennis after he dribbled well down the right wing and cut in on goal.

The Sunshine Coast were beginning to look the more potent team going forward, and were controlling possession. Stinson had a call for penalty turned down when he went down in the box under pressure from Gympie keeper Dennis.

Despite much of the play being camped in the Sunshine Coast’s attacking half, it was Gympie who got on the scoreboard against the run of play on 62 minutes, to the delight of home supporters. Following a goal-kick, Dan Haas slipped a simple through-ball to Dean Feldmeier, who timed his run to perfection and moved in on goal one-on-one before beating Nickolls and finding the net.

With the game turned on its head, Gympie were 30 minutes away from a second consecutive victory.  As the Sunshine Coast desperately fought to maintain their unbeaten streak, Gympie were looking disciplined in defence and refused to give an inch. James Verdin had a chance for the Sunshine Coast on 18 yards, but Dennis was untroubled.

The Sunshine Coast had a clear opportunity to equalise soon after when Kota Shibahashi took a free-kick from just outside the penalty area, but Dennis dropped well to save the dipping shot.

The match was turning into a tense, scrappy battle, and time was running out for the Sunshine Coast to equalise. On the brink of full-time, Luke Lewis won a corner that was delivered into the six yard box. With a pack of players attacking the ball, no-one could get a vital touch and knock it into the net, and Gympie were able to eventually clear their lines.

The full-time whistle sounded for an important victory for the Gympie Fire, a result which will do their confidence a world of good. The boys travel south to Meakin Park next Sunday to take on the Logan Strikers, and will be intent on taking another step up the HQSYL ladder.

 Although the Sunshine Coast will be disappointed to fall to their first loss of the season, the boys will have a chance to prove their character next week when they face up with the Queensland Academy of Sport. Having beaten QAS once already this season, the Sunshine Coast will be gearing up for a repeat performance at the new Stockland Park Stadium. Kick-off is set for 4pm on Sunday, June 5.

FINAL SCORE: Sunshine Coast Fire Under-19s – 0

                    Gympie Fire Under-19s – 1 (Feldmeier, 62)

Round Eleven Preview - Fire v North Queensland Razorbacks

The Sunshine Coast Fire are back in action this weekend after a fortnight off, and will be looking to clear out the cobwebs against the North Queensland Razorbacks on Sunday afternoon.

With the Fire’s Round Ten grudge match with the Brisbane Strikers called off due to wet weather, the side will have done all they can to ensure they have retained match fitness for the visit from the Razorbacks.

The Sunshine Coast have managed to maintain their unbeaten record despite a disrupted season, with solid contributions from across the park keeping the side on top of the HQSL table.

As for the visitors, the Razorbacks fielded a youthful side last week in their 5-0 rout of the Bundaberg Spirit, with four of their goals coming in the last 20 minutes. The result would have been a welcome boost heading into the clash with the Fire.

With a healthy return of 21 goals from nine games so far, the Razorbacks sit in fourth position with three wins, three draws and three losses. Prior to last week’s win over the Spirit, North Queensland had managed only three points from four games, with an away loss to the Brisbane Strikers in Round 6 followed by draws with QAS, FNQ Bulls and the Capricorn Cougars.

It will be the second time the Fire and Razorbacks meet this season, with the Sunshine Coast making the trip north in Round Two and coming away with a comfortable 3-0 win.

As many of North Queensland’s younger players are being given an opportunity to shine, the Fire can expect plenty of enthusiasm from the Razorbacks on Sunday afternoon. The Fire saw first-hand how dangerous travelling sides can be when the Whitsunday Miners came so close to victory in Round 8, and the side will not be taking the Razorbacks lightly.

Kickoff is set for 2pm at Stockland Park’s Western Fields, in what is to be the Fire’s last home game at the ground before moving to the new Stockland Park Stadium for the rest of the season.

The Fire’s youth teams will also be in action on Sunday, facing off against each other at 4pm. The Sunshine Coast Under-19s had their own clash with the Brisbane Strikers postponed last week, whereas the Gympie Fire notched a breakthrough 1-0 victory over the Gold Coast Stars, their first win for the season.

The Sunshine Coast comfortably lead the HQSYL this season and remain undefeated, but Gympie will have taken great confidence from their first victory and will be intent on causing an upset. When the sides last met the match ended in a 5-3 win for the Sunshine Coast, and we can expect a similar close contest on Sunday.

Round Ten Preview - Fire v Brisbane Strikers

Round Ten will see two old foes go head to head when the Sunshine Coast Fire host the Brisbane Strikers on Sunday afternoon.

The competition’s premier sides come into the match with differing formlines. Tyson Holmes bagged his second hat-trick in three weeks as the Fire ousted the Bundaberg Spirit 3-0 in Round Nine, a result which propelled the side further clear atop the HQSL ladder.

It was a welcome return to winning ways for the Fire, who came within seconds of losing their first match in Round Eight against Whitsunday.

The Strikers still hold second place on the ladder, despite falling to consecutive defeats against the Gold Coast Stars and the resurgent Whitsunday Miners in the last two rounds. Brisbane were kept scoreless in both of these matches, and David Large’s men will need to be on their game to find a way past the Fire’s frugal defence.

The Sunshine Coast have the better of the recent history between the two clubs, recording narrow 1-0 victories in both last year’s Grand Final and Round 1 of this season. The healthy rivalry between the clubs means that both teams always step up and deliver a great contest, and fans can expect Sunday’s match to be no different.

With Brisbane needing a victory to keep their hopes for the HQSL Premiership alive, the Sunshine Coast must perform if they want to keep a hold on their unbeaten streak.

Kick-off is set for 2pm on Sunday May 22, at Stockland Park’s Western Fields.

The Under-19s clash between the Fire and Strikers is also a top-of-the-table encounter, with the Fire setting the benchmark this season. Since opening the season with a scoreless draw against the Strikers, the Fire have gone on an impressive winning streak that they will hope to prolong as long as possible. Both sides will be fresh after having their Round Nine matches postponed, and will be eager to put on a show. Kick-off is set for 4pm, directly after the seniors’ games.

The Gympie Fire also had their last match postponed, and will have had plenty of time to prepare as they travel to take on the Gold Coast Stars on Sunday afternoon. Both sides have struggled so far this season, but the Gympie boys will be hopeful of getting a result on the road.

Round 9 Preview - Fire v Bundaberg Spirit

The Sunshine Coast Fire will be looking for an emphatic response to last week’s showing when the side heads north to Bundaberg to take on the Spirit on Saturday night.

With the Fire scraping a fortuitous draw against the Whitsunday Miners at home last week, all thoughts will be focussed on making amends with a positive performance in Bundaberg – and after last week facing a serious scare from the seventh-placed Miners, the Sunshine Coast will not be taking the Spirit lightly.

Bundaberg climbed from the foot of the HQSL ladder last week with a 3-2 away victory over the Capricorn Cougars, the Spirit’s first win of the season. The side has been competitive for much of the season despite being weakened by injuries in the past few weeks, including an injury to captain Brett Kitching

Although the recent history between the two sides is dominated by the Fire, Bundaberg did manage a 3-3 draw with the Sunshine Coast in Round 14 of last year, and always put up a tough fight on their home patch.

The fixture will be the Sunshine Coast’s last away match for six weeks, with home matches against Brisbane, North Queensland, QAS and FNQ to follow, and the Fire will be looking to bring back nothing less than three points from Bundaberg.

The Round 9 clash will kick off at Across the Waves Sportsgrounds in Bundaberg at 7pm on Saturday evening.

Both of the Fire youth teams are also in action this weekend, with the Under-19s facing their Bundaberg Spirit counterparts. The Spirit are fresh off a 3-1 victory over the Gympie Fire last week, although the Fire are in top form after notching their sixth straight win with a 5-1 win over the SC Zone 16s on the weekend. The Fire remain undefeated this season, and will be confident of hanging on to that mantle for at least another week.

The Gympie Fire will make the long trip to Toowoomba on Saturday, to face the South West Queensland 19s. The young Fire side will be eager to turn their competitive performances into a victory, as the side continues to chase their first win of the season.

The Gympie Fire match will kick-off at 3pm on Saturday in Toowoomba, while the Sunshine Coast Under-19s game will kick off before the seniors game, at 5pm on Saturday at Across the Waves Sportsgrounds.

Round 8 Senior Match Report - Fire V Whitsunday Miners

The Sunshine Coast Fire have gone within seconds of recording their first loss of the season, after scraping a 1-1 draw with the Whitsunday Miners in contentious circumstances.

Tyson Holmes converted a penalty deep into injury time to salvage a point for the Fire, who went a goal down on 87 minutes when Jamie White scored for the Miners.

Whitsunday will be bitterly disappointed not to come away with three points after quelling the Fire’s attack for 90 minutes and leading with only seconds to play.

With both sides coming into the contest fresh from morale-boosting victories, it was a spirited opening to the match. Takanori Sato almost opened the scoring for the Fire on four minutes, connecting well with a header that only cleared the crossbar by inches.

For the Miners, Jordan Corte moved well down the flank before hitting a cross into the danger area, but no Whitsunday players were on hand to take a shot. Soon after, Clark Bradford was unlucky not to score when he cannoned a header into the crossbar and out of play.

As the first half continued, the Fire were being outworked by an industrious Miners side. In one of the Sunshine Coast’s first moves forward, a well-worked move down the right wing gave Shaun Blackman a chance, but Miners keeper Brad Moss intercepted to clear the ball to safety.

Though not looking particularly threatening in attack, Whitsunday were doing well to negate the Fire’s attacking play and prevent scoring chances. After a play down the left wing, Tyson Holmes gained possession in the penalty area, but shot well over the bar with his left foot.

Clark Bradford and Jamie White both had chances from outside the penalty area for the Miners as half-time approached, but neither troubled Antony Hall in goal for the Fire

The whistle sounded for half-time in what was a largely uneventful contest, with neither side able to stamp their authority on the game. After scoring 14 times against Capricorn last round, the Fire seemed unable to breach the organised defence of the Miners.

Leon Dwyer had a chance early in the second half, connecting well with a header and forcing a save from Miners keeper Brad Moss. 

After a slow start to the contest, the game began to open up as both sides looked to win the midfield battle. 

The Fire had their best chance of the match on 53 minutes. In his 50^th match for the club, Greig Henslee did well to read a cross from Jason Hicks and got a free header at the far post, but could only guide the ball into the crossbar. 

With the Fire beginning to find some much needed fluency, Ryan Smith got on the end of a long ball at the far post, but headed the ball into the side netting.

Midway through the second half and with the game still scoreless, tempers were beginning to flare from both sides. Miners coach Graham Harvey was ordered from the field for dissent, and the action on the pitch continued to heat up.

Whitsunday substitute Matthew Zappone almost made an immediate impact as he was put through on goal for a one-on-one opportunity, but Antony Hall kept his cool to make a strong block and deny Zappone the opening goal. Minutes later, Takanori Sato was dispossessed and Jamie White moved in on goal, but again Hall came to the rescue to keep the Fire in the game.

Despite his best efforts, there was nothing Hall could do on 87 minutes when Jamie White dribbled into the penalty area and smashed the ball home. With only a few minutes of regular time remaining, it looked as if Whitsunday had done enough to stage a big upset.

After a second half littered with stoppages, there was a long period of injury time to be played. In the 95^th minute, and with the Miners pleading for the final whistle to be blown, the referee spotted a push in the Miners penalty area and awarded a spot kick to the Fire.

Despite the protests of the visitors, Tyson Holmes coolly converted from the penalty spot with the last kick of the game to snatch a 1-1 draw. Although the decision to award the penalty sparked fury from the Whitsunday players and officials, the Miners would have to settle for a draw against the reigning premiers.

Fire coach Richard Hudson was disappointed in his side’s disjointed performance.

“I thought we were atrocious today - if we’re going to perform like that, we aren’t going to win anything. The Miners were up for it, they’re a good side, but we didn’t win our personal battles and in the end we got found out, but we’ll take the point.”

Hudson agreed with the referee’s decision to award a contentious late penalty.

“The official did get it right - it was a push in the back. It’s debatable, but I think they (Whitsunday) deserved the three points.”

The Sunshine Coast will look to make amends next weekend when they travel to Bundaberg to take on the Spirit. Kickoff is at 7pm on Saturday May 14, at Across the Waves Sports Grounds in Bundaberg.

FINAL SCORE – Sunshine Coast FC – 1 (Holmes, 90)

                       Whitsunday Miners – 1 (White, 87)

Lineup

Hall, Henderson (Stinson), Sato, Henslee, Smith, Dwyer, Roberts, Holmes, Knight (Brazendale), Hicks, Blackman (Shibahashi)

Milestones

Antony Hall and Greig Henslee both recently celebrated their 50^th HQSL game, joining Shaun Blackman and Tyson Holmes in reaching the milestone.

Fire players celebrate Mother's Day with their mums.

Round 8 Under-19 Match Report - Fire v SC Zone 16s

The Under-19 Sunshine Coast Fire side have continued their impressive winning form, thumping the Sunshine Coast Zone 16s with a 5-1 victory in Kawana.

James Verdin, Kaine Frew, Nick Roth, Mitch Broom and Andy Gillen all got their names on the scoresheet as the Fire recorded their sixth consecutive victory.

The Fire had every right to play with confidence after five consecutive wins, and were lively in the opening minutes. Strong work from Mitch Broom granted Andy Harrison a chance, but Harrison shot over the bar on his left foot. Andy Gillen also put an effort over the bar in the following minutes, after riding a challenge and settling on his right foot.

With both sides settling in, it was an open contest as each team moved the ball quickly. Jordon Burgess was unlucky not to score for the Zone 16s, as his volley was blocked on the line by Fire keeper Damien Cox. 

As the first half continued, the Fire looked to be gaining the upper hand but were not turning their weight of possession into goals. This changed after 40 minutes, when James Verdin beat a strong challenge on the left flank, before carving a path to goal and beating the keeper from six yards out.

Spurred on by their lead, the Fire doubled the advantage just before half-time, with Verdin doing well to get in behind the defence on the left flank. He picked out Kaine Frew on six yards, and the striker made no mistake as he tucked the ball into the net.

The Fire looked to continue the second half in the same vein, with Frew forcing a strong save after connecting well with a volley. Soon after, James Verdin was released one-on-one but had his shot blocked.

On 54 minutes, the Fire stretched the lead to 3-0. Substitute Kota Shibahashi sped into the penalty area before chipping the keeper, but the ball rebounded off the foot of the right post. Nick Roth pounced on the rebound and slammed the ball home.

Although the Fire were dominating, the Zone 16s were showing plenty of effort and were rewarded with a goal on 68 minutes. Josh Phelps won possession in the Fire’s defensive half and moved in on goal, beating Cox from close range.

The goal spurred the Fire back into action, and the side showed their maturity to continue controlling the match. Mitch Broom was rewarded with a fine goal on 78 minutes, when he collected a corner kick outside the penalty area, before smashing a low drive inside the left upright from 18 yards out.

With full-time approaching, the Fire were dogged in their pursuit of a fifth goal and it was Andy Gillen who obliged, prodding home from close range after a scramble in the penalty area to record a convincing 5-1 victory for the Sunshine Coast Fire.

It was another disciplined performance from the Fire, who created a wealth of chances and converted enough to ensure that the result was never in doubt. The next challenge for the unbeaten side will be an away fixture against the Bundaberg Spirit, who this week defeated the Gympie Fire 3-1. Kick-off for the Fire’s Round 9 match will be at 5pm on Saturday May 14, at Across the Waves Sports Ground in Bundaberg.

Sunshine Coast Fire – 5 (Verdin, 40, Frew, 44, Roth, 54, Broom, 78, Gillen, 83)

Sunshine Coast Zone 16s – 1 (Phelps, 68)

 Fire players celebrate Mother's Day with their mums.

Round 8 Preview - Fire v Whitsunday Miners

After last week notching the biggest win in the club’s history, the Sunshine Coast Fire’s confidence will be sky-high heading into this week’s Round 8 clash with the Whitsunday Miners.

The undermanned Capricorn Cougars were on the receiving end of the Fire’s wrath in Round 7- against a Fire outfit at full strength, the Cougar’s squad woes came to the fore and the end result was a 14-1 bloodbath. 

Tyson Holmes ran rampant with six goals, Jason Hicks notched a hat-trick, Sam Knight a double, and there were single goals from Shaun Blackman, Alex Henderson and Aaron Brazendale. Five of the goals came in the last ten minutes as the young Cougars simply ran out of steam.

The Sunshine Coast will make it a priority to put this result behind them and concentrate on the task posed by the Whitsunday Miners on Sunday.

The Miners have been competitive thus far this season, managing one win, three draws and one loss from five fixtures. The side’s first win came in impressive fashion last week, when the Miners notched a 2-1 away victory against the Gold Coast Stars. The Mackay club’s first three-point haul will give them confidence for their trip south to Kawana, but the Miners will need to be at their best to pierce the Sunshine Coast defence.

The Fire have yet to concede a goal at home this season, dispatching of both the Gold Coast Stars and defunct Southern Cross United 3-0 in their last two home games.

Kick-off for the Round 8 fixture is set for 2pm on Sunday May 8, at Stockland Park’s Western Fields in Kawana.

Both of the Fire’s youth teams were in action last weekend, with the Sunshine Coast Under-19s extending their winning streak to five games with a hard-fought 1-0 win over South West Queensland, courtesy of a first-half strike from Kaine Frew. The boys will be looking for six on the trot when they take on the Sunshine Coast Zone 16s on Sunday. Kick-off will be after the seniors game, at 4pm on Stockland Park’s Western Fields.

As for the Gympie Fire, the boys are still searching for their first win after suffering a 2-1 home defeat to the Sunshine Coast Zone 16s last Saturday. Gympie are at home again this weekend, taking on the Bundaberg Spirit youth team at 3pm this Saturday at One Mile Ovals.