Round 15 Preview - Fire v Gold Coast Stars

As the race for the QSL Premiership enters the final stretch, every match is vital for the Sunshine Coast Fire. Dethroned from top spot in the competition, the Fire will look to recover with victory over the Gold Coast Stars on Sunday.

The Far North Queensland Bulls handed the Fire their first loss of the season last week, and the Brisbane Strikers took full advantage to take top spot on the QSL ladder, albeit having played an extra game.

The Fire conceded three goals in a horror first half against FNQ, and despite battling valiantly in the second half still went down 3-2 to the Bulls. Since moving to Sunshine Coast Stadium in Round 12, the Fire’s form has stagnated and it is crucial that the side turns this around against the Gold Coast to keep hopes of winning a third Premiership alive.

The Gold Coast Stars sit in fourth position on the ladder, with 5 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses so far. After comfortably accounting for Bundaberg and Capricorn in previous weeks, the Stars suffered a 4-3 loss away against the North Queensland Razorbacks last round, in a game where they were reduced to 10 men in the first half. The Stars will be coming off a bye this week, and will be fresh to tackle the Fire on Sunday.

Round 6 was when the two teams last met, when the Fire prevailed over the Stars with a 3-0 scoreline. The Stars played an aggressive style of football during that visit and attempted to muscle the Fire out of the contest, but to no avail as they failed to repel the Coast’s potent attack.

With both teams coming off of narrow losses and desperate to avoid losing ground on the ladder, this Round Fifteen clash could make or break each team’s season. Kickoff is set for 2pm, on Sunday July 3.

Both of the Fire’s Under-19 teams are also in action this weekend, with the Sunshine Coast Under-19s taking on the Gold Coast Stars youth side. The Fire were held to a frustrating draw last round, and are themselves battling with the Brisbane Strikers for top spot on the ladder. Their match will kick off directly after the senior’s game at 4pm. As for the Gympie Fire, the boys will host the Brisbane Strikers at One Mile Ovals, in a game that could have a telling impact on the finals picture. Kickoff for that match is at 3pm on Saturday, July 2.

Round 14 Senior Match Report - Fire v FNQ Bulls

A rampant first-half from the Far North Queensland Bulls has consigned the Sunshine Coast Fire to their first loss of the season, with the visitors recording a 3-2 victory.

Goals to Victor Madrid, Josiah Rusch and Steven Cater got the Bulls off to a flying start, before a double from Gareth Musson gave the Fire hope of a comeback in the second half.

With the Brisbane Strikers winning on Saturday, the pressure was on the Fire to take all three points and regain a share of the QSL lead. From the start against Far North Queensland, the Fire seemed to be a little off the pace and the opening exchanges were scrappy from both sides.

One of the Fire’s first chances came after 15 minutes when a cross from Kaine Frew on the right flank was controlled by James Stinson, who neatly laid off a pass for Jason Hicks on the edge of the area, with the forward forcing a save out of Bulls keeper Jack Richards

Almost immediately after, FNQ scored with one of their first attacks of the match. A corner was cleared by the Fire’s defence, but only as far as Victor Madrid who collected the ball in space 30 yards out from goal. With the Sunshine Coast slow to rush out and make a block, Madrid moved forward and curled a shot into the top corner to set the Bulls on their way.

Only five minutes after the opening goal, FNQ added to the Fire’s misery with another quality strike to double their lead. This time, Josiah Rusch connected sweetly with a free-kick from 20 yards out that curled inside the right upright, with Antony Hall getting a hand to the shot but unable to keep it out.

Shell-shocked to be two goals behind in a game that seemed to be on an even keel, the Sunshine Coast looked to settle on the ball and build the play patiently. Jason Hicks had a good opportunity to halve the deficit when he shook his defender to run onto a long ball and speed in on goal. One-on-one with Richards, the FNQ keeper produced a fine block to deny Hicks. 

Soon after, Tyson Holmes had a chance of his own when he was picked out at the near post with a corner kick, but the skipper headed over the bar from a few yards out.

With half-time approaching and the Fire looking content to head off to the dressing rooms and refocus for the second half, Far North Queensland managed to hit the scoreboard yet again. As the Bulls launched an attack, an early cross was swung in towards forward Steven Cater, who caught Antony Hall off his line with a header that fell just under the crossbar and extended the Bulls lead to three goals.

Finding themselves in the unfamiliar position of facing a large deficit, the Fire came out in the second half showing plenty of intent early on. In one of the Fire’s first attacks of the half, James Stinson sent a low pass into the penalty area from the left flank that failed to be cleared, and Gareth Musson smashed the ball home to make the score 3-1.

As the game restarted, the pace of the game was becoming frenetic and the Bulls were increasingly on the back foot as the Sunshine Coast flooded forward. On 52 minutes, the contest was well and truly ignited when Gareth Musson was adjudged to have been impeded in the box and was awarded a penalty. Musson stepped up to the spot and sent Bulls keeper Richards the wrong way to score his second and reduce the margin to a single goal.

With Far North Queensland’s lead beginning to slip away, the Sunshine Coast kept their foot on the pedal in the search for an equaliser. Kaine Frew anticipated a flicked header well and moved in on goal, but shot well over the goal under pressure. James Stinson had a chance soon after, but couldn’t quite control a long header from just inside the penalty area.

For the Bulls, Rusch had a chance to add to his tally with fifteen minutes to play, but Antony Hall did well to block his goal-bound header and keep the Fire’s hopes alive.

With time ticking away, Sam Knight produced a strong move down the left wing before slipping a pass inside to Tyson Holmes who made the keeper work with a shot from close range. Holmes had another chance to tie it up minutes later when a powerful shot from 18 yards was parried away to safety.

After three minutes of injury time, the Sunshine Coast could not raise another effort and the Far North Queensland Bulls clung on to record a 3-2 victory against the odds. For the Fire, the side’s first loss of the season means they relinquish top spot on the ladder, and will need to find another gear if they wish to stay in the running for a third Premiership.

Richard Hudson admitted his side had too big a mountain to climb to recover from 3-0 down.

“I thought our first half was very poor, probably our worst performance of the season. Obviously we turned it around in the second half, but couldn’t finish it off. Our second half was good, but the hole was too big at the end of the day. It’s back to the drawing board now – we’ve lost one game, it’s not the end of the world, but it’s a wake-up call and a reminder that your reputation doesn’t count for anything, and we need to perform week in week out.”  

Next week will provide a stern test of the Fire’s Premiership credentials, with the team facing a trip south to take on the Gold Coast Stars. Kick-off for the vital Round 15 clash is set for 2pm on Sunday July 3.

FINAL SCORE – Sunshine Coast Fire – 2 (Musson, 48, 52)

                     Far North Queensland Bulls – 3 (Madrid, 17, Rusch, 23, Cater, 45)

LINEUP - Hall, Knight, Sato, Dwyer, Smith, Stinson, Holmes, Roberts, Frew, Hicks, Musson. SUBS - Henderson, Brazendale, Shibahashi

Round 14 Under-19 Match Report - Fire v Gold Coast Zone

The Sunshine Coast Fire have suffered a cruel blow, with an own goal late in the match relegating the boys to a 1-1 draw with the Gold Coast Zone Under-19s.

A spectacular first-half strike from Beau Lyle set the Fire on their way, before the late own-goal salvaged a point for the Gold Coast.

After grinding out another hard-fought victory last week with a 2-1 win over Southern Cross United, the Sunshine Coast would have be confident of a repeat performance on their home ground.

From the opening whistle, it was clear that the Fire would have the edge in midfield and proceeded to dominate early possession. Andy Harrison and James Verdin both missed good early chances. Soon after, Rhys Roberts was well positioned to receive Andy Gillen’s corner at the far post, but his header was just off target.

 With the match played largely on the Fire’s terms, Beau Lyle took the initiative and scored the game’s opening goal on 20 minutes. Lyle found space on the left flank 25 yards out and set his sights on goal, beating Gold Coast keeper Shane Vitakangas with a flat drive that nestled in the top corner.

After falling behind early, the Gold Coast were beginning to work into the match and were competing hard for every ball, but the Sunshine Coast were comfortable in defence and were preventing their opponents from getting in behind them.

Meanwhile, the Fire’s attackers were pressing for a second goal, as Andy Harrison knocked a header over the bar after an accurate cross from Mitch Broom. Harrison was again involved a few minutes later when he sent a ball into the danger area for Rhys Roberts, but the keeper was untroubled and dealt with the shot easily.

The second half kicked off in much the same way as the first, with the Fire working hard and controlling the match but not seeing enough evidence on the scoreboard. Nick Roth and James Verdin combined well inside the penalty area before Verdin was brought to ground, but the referee waved away calls for a penalty.

Soon after, Andy Gillen directed a long free-kick towards Joshua Atkinson at the far-post, but the ball was cleared for a corner before Atkinson could get his head to it.  With 65 minutes played, Jon Camelleri produced perhaps the best chance for the visitors when he found space but lifted a shot over the bar.

As the match entered its final minutes, the Fire continued to terrorise the Gold Coast defence as Kaine Frew had a shot on target that the keeper did well to block.

With only minutes to play, Gold Coast won a free-kick in a dangerous area, but Rhys Lambert’s shot was easy pickings for Sam Nickolls in goal for the Fire. Minutes after and with the game about to enter injury time, Gold Coast found an equaliser from nowhere.  An early cross from the left wing took an awkward deflection off Rhys Roberts at the near post and hit the back of the net.

It proved to be the last scoring chance of the match, as the Fire had victory snatched away from them when it was in their grasp. With the season rapidly coming to an end and the Fire locked in a battle with the Brisbane Strikers for top spot on the HQSYL ladder, next week’s clash with the Gold Coast Stars will be crucial for the boys. Kick-off is set for 4pm on Sunday, July 3, after the senior’s game.

FINAL SCORE: Sunshine Coast Fire – 1 (Lyle, 20)

                    Gold Coast Zone Under-19s – 1 (OG, 90)

Round 14 Preview - Fire v FNQ Bulls

The ladder-leading Sunshine Coast Fire will resume their quest for a third QSL Premiership this Sunday when they line up against the FNQ Bulls at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

With six regular season fixtures remaining, the Fire currently share top spot with the Brisbane Strikers, who have won four games on the trot to reignite the title race. Hot on the heels of Brisbane are the Gold Coast Stars and the resurgent Whitsunday Miners, two teams who are finding consistent form and will be capable of causing an upset come finals time.

Fresh from a fortnight off, the Sunshine Coast will be raring to go against the Far North Queensland Bulls on Sunday, as the Fire look to bounce back from a frustrating draw with QAS in Round 12.

Although currently sixth on the QSL ladder, Far North Queensland are within striking distance of finals football, and are coming off a strong 4-2 win over the Queensland Academy of Sport last weekend. The Bulls have recorded four wins, three draws and four losses so far this season, including a 1-1 draw at home against the Fire when the two teams met in Round 5.

As for the Sunshine Coast, the team will be well aware that nothing short of a win is needed on Sunday if they wish to stay ahead in the title race. Although the side remains undefeated, dropped points at home against Whitsunday and QAS may prove costly as the chasing teams begin to hit top form.

The Fire’s attacking options have been bolstered by the recent signing of Gareth Musson from the Brisbane Strikers, who has already opened his scoring tally for the Fire when he notched the winning goal in a friendly against Papua New Guinea on June 14. Defensively, the Sunshine Coast have an impressive record with only six goals conceded from ten games this season, a formline that the side will be hoping to carry into the finals.

Kick-off for the Round 14 clash is set for 2pm on Sunday, June 26 at Sunshine Coast Stadium in Kawana, and will be followed by the Fire’s Under-19 side taking on the Gold Coast Zone at 4pm.

The Under-19s continued their habit of recording tough victories last week when they beat Southern Cross United 2-1 on the road, and will be looking for another three points against the Gold Coast on Sunday. As for the Gympie Fire Under-19s, the boys will make the trip south to Logan to face QAS on Sunday afternoon.

Match Report - Sunshine Coast Fire v Papua New Guinea

The Sunshine Coast Fire have made a welcome return to the winners list, securing a 1-0 result over the Papua New Guinea national side in a friendly fixture on Tuesday evening.

A second-half penalty from Gareth Musson was enough to grant the Fire their first win at Sunshine Coast Stadium, after draws against QAS and the Brisbane Roar in previous weeks.

Richard Hudson made several changes to the Fire side that played the Brisbane Roar only two days previously, with many youth players given an opportunity to shine, while Frank Farina’s Papua New Guinea side was rotated heavily for the friendly match.

On a cold evening in Kawana, it took both sides time to find their range as passes missed the target early on. Former Fire player David Muta was captaining Papua New Guinea, and did his best to lift his side from central midfield.

Ten minutes in, Gympie Fire playmaker Tim Hollingworth produced an opportunity for the Fire, but his header was blocked away for a corner. With both sides struggling to find their feet in the attacking third, plays continued to break down early on.

James Stinson and Kaine Frew combined on 30 minutes, but couldn’t break through the PNG defence. Soon after, Kota Shibahashi read Gareth Musson’s flicked header well, but a defender averted the danger.

For the visitors, Gary Moka went close to opening PNG’s account when he found space 12 yards out, but the striker lifted his shot over the crossbar while under pressure.

On 38 minutes, the Fire had their best chance of the match go begging. A cross from Frew on the right wing fell nicely for Stinson, who hit a pass towards Gareth Musson six yards out. The ball bounced awkwardly for Musson, who missed the target from close range.

With half time quickly approaching, Niel Hans hit a dipping free-kick that only cleared the crossbar by inches. Hans again posed a threat in the next play, forcing a save out of Antony Hall from just outside the penalty area.

Some experience was injected into the Fire lineup after the break with Tyson Holmes, Aaron Brazendale and Judd Molea brought on for Tim Hollingworth, Kaine Frew and James Stinson.

With Frank Farina also using plenty of substitutions for the visitors, Papua New Guinea almost hit the front minutes after the half-time break. Ericson Koneng moved well down the right flank before hitting an accurate cross to Alex Davani, who couldn’t get a vital touch with the goal at his mercy.

With close to an hour played and the match still scoreless, the Sunshine Coast began to hit their straps and put the PNG defence under pressure. Holmes and Musson combined well, with Musson eventually forcing a save out of PNG keeper David Ava with a clean header.

Although PNG continued to find themselves in attacking positions, they were struggling to produce shots on goal, as Sam Knight put his body on the line to prevent a shot from Tonga Esira.

As the Fire countered from this attack, Judd Molea found himself in space on the left wing and used his pace to power in on goal. As Molea sped into the penalty area, Kelly Jampu moved in to make a challenge and brought the Fire forward down, earning the Sunshine Coast a penalty. Gareth Musson stepped up and found the bottom corner with minimal fuss to record his first goal as a Fire player.

With 15 minutes to play and a goal behind, Papua New Guinea seemed to lose patience as they searched for an equalising goal, and too often seemed content to shoot from distance.

Aaron Brazendale missed a good chance to double the Fire’s lead soon after, when he controlled Sam Knight’s cross from the left flank but lifted his shot over the bar. It was to be the last real opportunity of the game as the Sunshine Coast recorded a narrow but encouraging win over international opposition.

The Fire will enjoy a break over the next week and a half, before facing up for Round 14 of the QSL against the Far North Queensland Bulls. That match will be played at Sunshine Coast Stadium, with kick-off set for 2pm on Sunday, June 26.

FINAL SCORE: Sunshine Coast FC – 1 (Musson, 70)

                            Papua New Guinea – 0

FIRE SQUAD: Antony Hall, Alex Henderson, Takanori Sato, Greig Henslee, Ryan Smith, James Stinson, Tim Hollingworth, Dylan Roberts, Kaine Frew, Kota Shibahashi, Gareth Musson. SUBS: Tyson Holmes, Aaron Brazendale, Judd Molea, Sam Nickolls, Mitch Broom, Sam Knight, Jason Hicks.

Sunshine Coast Fire v Brisbane Roar - Match Report

The Brisbane Roar have had their winning pre-season form brought to an end by the Sunshine Coast Fire, as the two sides fought out an entertaining 1-1 draw in front of around 2500 spectators at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

Tyson Holmes opened the scoring in spectacular fashion for the home side, netting with a free-kick just before half-time, but a second-half strike from Roar trialist Nick Fitzgerald salvaged a draw for the A-League champions.

In the fourth match contested by the sides, Brisbane clearly had the better of the opening exchanges, and much of the play was embedded in the Roar’s attacking half. James Meyer was the first to test Fire keeper Antony Hall, but Hall produced a solid save.

In a rare move forward for the Fire, Jason Hicks found space and slid a pass toward Gareth Musson, but an interception was made before Musson could move in on goal. Soon after the Fire won a free-kick that was chipped toward Greig Henslee at the far post, but the whistle sounded for a foul before Henslee could take a shot on goal.

Although the Roar were controlling possession, they were unable to get many clear sights at goal. Chris Bush had a well-struck shot cleared off the line by Fire defender Takanori Sato. Not long after, a flowing move from right to left gave Shane Stefanutto a chance on six yards, but Antony Hall spread himself well to block the shot.

After 39 minutes, the Fire won a free-kick 30 yards out from goal. Sunshine Coast captain Tyson Holmes stepped up to take the shot, and left Roar keeper Michael Theoklitos flat-footed as he found the top corner to the delight of home supporters.

On the brink of half-time, Jason Hicks almost doubled the advantage for the Fire when he moved down the left flank, before cutting inside the penalty area and shooting into the side netting.

After the break, the game continued in much the same vein as Brisbane dominated possession but lacked a spark in the attacking third. The Fire were almost two goals ahead on 50 minutes when Holmes worked down the right wing and centred the ball, but Gareth Musson couldn’t get a vital touch on the ball six yards out.

The Roar thought they had found their equaliser after an hour of play when Matt Smith’s shot was blocked on the line and cleared to safety. Soon after, the visitors finally managed to square the ledger when Thomas Broich released Nick Fitzgerald in the penalty area, with the trialist beating Antony Hall at the near post to level the scores.

With parity restored, the Roar were giving some of their trialling players a chance to shine. Plays continued to break down in the attacking third as the Fire’s disciplined defending frustrated the Roar into mistakes.

Although Gareth Musson had a call for penalty turned down on the brink of full-time, the Fire would have been pleased to come away with a 1-1 result against the A-League’s dominant force.

Fire coach Richard Hudson thought his side acquitted themselves well against the all-conquering Roar.

“We changed the shape of our side today, with an eye towards the next few weeks, and it worked really well. Obviously they were trialling some players, but I thought we coped well with them, they didn’t get in behind us too much and we managed to create a few chances. All in all, we’re really pleased. We got what we wanted out of the game, and I’m sure Ange (Postecoglou) did as well."

For the Roar, their pre-season continues on June 22 against Eastern Suburbs, as they continue to build towards their Premiership defence. Next up for the Fire will be an exhibition match against the Papua New Guinea national side, on the evening of Tuesday, June 14 at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

FINAL SCORE: Sunshine Coast Fire - 1 (Holmes, 39)

                    Brisbane Roar - 1 (Fitzgerald, 65)

LINEUP – FIRE: Antony Hall, James Stinson, Takanori Sato, Greig Henslee, Dylan Roberts, Jason Hicks, Tyson Holmes, Sam Knight, Mitch Broom, Ryan Smith, Gareth Musson. SUBS: Alex Henderson, Kaine Frew, Tim Hollingworth, Judd Molea, Aaron Brazendale, Kota Shibahashi, Sam Nickolls.

LINEUP – ROAR: Michael Theoklitos, Matt Smith, Shane Stefanutto, Ivan Franjic, Kosta Barbarouses, Thomas Broich, Matt Mundy, Matt McKay, Luke Brattan, Chris Bush, James Meyer. SUBS: Daniel Angelucci, Nick Fitzgerald. Daniel Bowles, Nikolas Smidtz, James Donachie, Brandon Borello, Alistair Quinn, Jack Bladen, Jason Geria, Jake McLean, Kenneth Dougall, Stefano Salandra.

Pre-Season Friendly - Sunshine Coast Fire v Brisbane Roar

Fresh from dominating the 2010/2011 A-League season, the all-conquering Brisbane Roar will face up with the Sunshine Coast Fire for the fourth time on Sunday afternoon.

The two teams will meet as part of Brisbane’s annual ‘Roar Roadshow’, where the defending A-League Champions travel through Queensland as they prepare for the new season.

A clash with the Sunshine Coast Fire has become an annual fixture for the Roar, who have managed two wins from the three matches played between the clubs.

The Fire managed a famous victory over the Roar in 2008, during the inaugural season of the Sunshine Coast club. A second-half strike from David Muta was enough for the Fire to notch a 1-0 victory and bragging rights over their A-League neighbours.

The Roar responded in 2009, naming a strong line-up for the clash with the Sunshine Coast, and the Fire were on the receiving end of a 4-0 scoreline. Robbie Kruse, Massimo Murdocca, Sergio Van Dijk and Henrique all got on the scoresheet as the Roar showed their class.

In 2010 the teams met again in pouring rain, with the Roar running out 3-1 victors. New Zealand international Kosta Barbarouses was the chief destroyer, bagging two goals, while Brazilian winger Henrique netted one of his own. For the Fire, Corey Towle scored a consolation goal.

Having notched wins over Redlands United and Peninsula Power in the last week, early signs are positive for Brisbane as they ease their way into their 2011/2012 campaign. As for the Fire, a 10 game unbeaten streak means the side comfortably leads the Queensland State League, and is on pace for a third Premiership in four years.

The match will be the first time the new Sunshine Coast Stadium plays host to a national team, and there will be plenty of atmosphere when the sides take to the pitch. Kick-off is set for 2.30pm on Sunday, with the gates opening at noon. A player autograph session will take place between 12.30 and 1.30pm.

Round 12 Senior Match Report - Fire v QAS

A late equaliser from QAS has spoilt the Fire’s introduction to Sunshine Coast Stadium, with the sides having to settle for a 1-1 stalemate on Sunday afternoon.

A first-half strike from Greig Henslee put the Fire on course for victory, but Henslee was issued a straight red card early in the second half and QAS equalised through Brandon Borrello with only minutes to play.

The result leaves the Fire six points clear of the Brisbane Strikers in second place on the QSL ladder, although the Strikers have played one less game.

In front of a healthy home crowd at Sunshine Coast Stadium, both the Fire and QAS looked to revel in the perfect conditions and quality playing surface. Passes were crisp and accurate early on, as both sides looked to assert themselves. QAS were the first to have a sniff at goal when Alistair Quinn was pressured into shooting over the bar by Ryan Smith.

In what was becoming a fluid, end-to-end contest, both sides were shooting on sight as much as possible, as Tyson Holmes lashed a half-volley over the crossbar from outside the penalty area.

After 20 minutes of play, neither side had managed a serious challenge on goal and the respective defences were well on top. Fire keeper Antony Hall was called into action as he moved well off his line to deal with a cross from Elliot Ronto. Soon after, Koh Satake went close to scoring for the visitors when he flashed a shot wide of the right upright from 20 yards.

The deadlock was broken after 29 minutes as the Fire took the lead. Jason Hicks swung a corner toward Greig Henslee at the far post, who read the cross well and side-footed the ball home from a few yards out.

After taking the front in an even contest, the Sunshine Coast looked to take control of the fixture and were gaining more of the possession. QAS continued to look dangerous on the break, and Elliott Ronto went close after bulldozing through two tackles and missing the target from the edge of the area.

The Fire had one last chance to double their lead before half-time, when Sam Knight chipped a cross toward Takanori Sato six yards out, but Sato headed the ball wide of goal.

Judd Molea was brought on for Shaun Blackman for the second half, which started in much the same vein for the Fire as the team looked comfortable on the ball and built through short passes.

Five minutes into the second period, the Fire suffered a serious blow when Greig Henslee was given his marching orders for a challenge on Kwame Yeboah. Henslee was adjudged to be the last defender when he made the tackle, and despite the protests of the Fire players, the side would have to defend their slender lead with only 10 men. Leon Dwyer was pushed back into defence for the rest of the game.

The Fire nearly produced the perfect response to the send-off a few minutes later, when Ryan Smith’s powerful header was cleared off the line by Jayke Cuschieri.

After 60 minutes of play, the Fire were looking to defend in depth as Jason Hicks was left as the lone man up front. Despite their numerical advantage, QAS were unable to get in behind the Fire’s defence and were often forced to shoot from distance. Antony Hall was at full stretch to save a low drive from Kenneth Dougall on the edge of the area.

Alex Henderson was brought on for Sam Knight as the Fire looked to see out the 90 minutes, but QAS were not going down without a fight as Alistair Quinn missed by inches with a header from close range. Up the other end, Tyson Holmes did his best to inspire his troops with a solo run, but his eventual shot on goal was high and didn’t trouble QAS keeper Matthew Stein.

As the game entered its final 10 minutes, QAS were dominating possession but were still no closer to finding an equalising goal. With only a few minutes of regular time remaining, Kenneth Dougall and Brandon Borrello combined well in the penalty area, and Hall was helpless as Borrello knocked the ball into the net to level it up.

The Fire had one last chance to snatch an unlikely victory in the final seconds as Holmes released Kota Shibahashi, but QAS keeper Stein read the play well to break up the attack.

The final whistle sounded for a 1-1 draw, a frustrating result for the Fire who looked to have done enough to hold off QAS until the final moments. The visitors can take heart from their performance, which confirms their status as a legitimate finals contender and keeps them in touch with the leading teams.

Fire coach Richard Hudson thought the draw was a reasonable reflection on a close game.

“We got the early break with the goal, and I thought we might build on that, but we really didn’t hit our straps today. You could say in hindsight we were outplayed, but they never really got in behind us, and I thought maybe we were going to get away with it until the late goal.”

Hudson agreed that the game changed complexion after the Fire went a man down.

“The sending off was disappointing, because he wasn’t the last player. It’s an automatic send-off if the player is the last defender, but we had cover coming through in (Ryan) Smith.”

Next weekend is the Fire’s annual clash with the Brisbane Roar, as part of the Roar’s pre-season tour. The game will be played on Sunday June 12, and for ticket prices and other information, visit www.sunshinecoastfc.com.au .

FINAL SCORE:  Sunshine Coast FC – 1 (Henslee, 29)

                     Queensland Academy of Sport - 1 (Borrello, 87)

Round 12 Under-19 Match Report - Fire v QAS

The Sunshine Coast Fire have survived a late scare to hold off the Queensland Academy of Sport, scoring a 2-1 victory at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

Goals to Beau Lyle and James Stinson put the Fire on track for victory, before Josh Riis pegged one back for QAS.

Last week saw the Fire beaten for the first time this season, humbled by the Gympie Fire in a battle at One Mile Ovals. From the kick-off against QAS, the Under-19s looked determined to prove a point.

In one of the Fire’s first moves forward, Kaine Frew collected a pass from Beau Lyle before turning and shooting first time, but Andre Jannese was untroubled in goal for QAS. Up the other end, Sam Wilkinson tested Sam Nickolls with a shot from distance, but the Fire keeper dropped well to make an easy save.

Despite both sides finding their share of early possession, genuine chances were hard to come by. Andy Gillen chipped a free-kick toward James Stinson in the penalty area, but Stinson’s header cleared the bar by some distance.

With much of the game played in the middle of the park, the young QAS players were holding their own against the Fire, as Joe Franze forced a save out of Nickolls after 25 minutes.

Josh Atkinson had a good opportunity to open the Fire’s account soon after, narrowly missing the left upright with his header from inside the area. With the game beginning to open up, the Sunshine Coast managed to notch their opening goal just before half-time.

Beau Lyle was given possession on the left flank, and was given too much room as he cut inside and dribbled into the penalty area. With the defenders backing away, Lyle curled a fine shot into the top corner to ensure the Sunshine Coast went into the half-time break with all the momentum.

The second half kicked off at a higher tempo, with the opening goal providing the spark that the game needed. The Fire’s defence were confidently dealing with the threat of QAS, as Rob McNicol did well to clear a cross from Shannon Brady.

For the Fire, Luke Lewis played a neat one-two with Nick Roth, but the keeper made an interception before Lewis could get a shot off.

With the Fire beginning to hit their straps in attack, QAS looked to be losing some patience as they moved forward, as Lachlan Jackson had a speculative shot on goal from 30 yards.

On 77 minutes, Frew raced to the byline and chipped a cross into the danger area that Jannese punched away. Rhys Roberts latched onto the loose ball and had a shot from distance, but the ball went straight through to the keeper.

With the match looking likely to end with only a single goal scored, the Sunshine Coast managed to double their advantage on 82 minutes. After Joshua Atkinson was fouled, Andy Gillen chipped a free-kick into the penalty area. The ball fell nicely for James Stinson, who smashed it into the roof of the net to give the Fire a 2-0 lead with eight minutes to play.

With injury time looming, Josh Riis nicked a goal for QAS when he won possession and beat Nickolls at the near post, making the score 2-1.

After a nervy few minutes of injury time, the whistle sounded for the Sunshine Coast Fire to celebrate a return to the winners circle with another hard-fought win over quality opposition. It was the Fire’s second win over QAS this season, with the boys managing a 4-2 win in Round 3 at Meakin Park.

The Fire’s next HQSYL fixture is against the Southern Cross United youth team in a fortnight’s time. Kick-off is set for 1pm on Sunday, June 19, at Perry Park in Brisbane.

FINAL SCORE: Sunshine Coast Fire – 2 (Lyle, 42, Stinson, 82)

                     Queensland Academy of Sport – 1 (Riis, 88) 

Round Twelve Preview - Fire v QAS

Round 12 of the QSL will see the Sunshine Coast Fire move to their new home at Sunshine Coast Stadium, where the team will host the Queensland Academy of Sport on Sunday afternoon.

The excitement of the new facilities will add some flavour to the visit of third-placed QAS, who had their six game unbeaten streak snapped by the Brisbane Strikers last round.

With three wins, four draws and two losses thus far this campaign, QAS have taken a step forward this season and will be a legitimate threat come finals time. With a young, technical squad, the Academy side can beat any team on their day and will be lining up the ladder-leading Fire.

It was business as usual for the Fire last week, outclassing the North Queensland Razorbacks 3-1 in Gympie to maintain a commanding competition lead. After opening the scoring three minutes in, the Fire took control of the fixture and cruised to their seventh win of the season.

Experience and discipline has played a large part in the Fire’s success this season. The side is reaping the rewards of having a core group of players who have stuck with the club for several seasons.

The recent history between the Sunshine Coast and Queensland Academy of Sport is considerably lopsided. The Fire won all three of their matches with QAS last year, and were also victorious in Round Three this season, notching a 3-1 away win at Meakin Park.

The Fire will be favourites to take all three points in their first game at Sunshine Coast Stadium, but the solid recent form of QAS will give them hope of causing an upset. Kick-off is set for 2pm on Sunday afternoon.

The Fire youth teams faced off for the second time this season last week, and this time it was the Gympie Fire coming out on top of the Sunshine Coast Under-19s. After struggling early in the season, Gympie will be looking for a third consecutive victory this Sunday when they face the Logan Strikers. Kick-off will be at 3pm at Meakin Park, Slacks Creek.

After the shock of suffering their first defeat of the season, the Sunshine Coast Under-19s will be eager to make amends this week when they face the QAS youth side. That match will kick off at 4pm, directly after the seniors’ game.