The National Premier Leagues action continues this weekend with Round 17 featuring another set of exciting match-ups right across Queensland.

Stay up to date with all the weekend’s fixtures in the weekly preview.

 

Queensland Academy of Sport (12^th) v Redlands United (3^rd)
Friday, 12^th July 2013 – Cleveland Showgrounds, 6:30pm

Queensland Academy of Sport will fancy themselves for one of the upsets of the NPL Queensland season when they venture to Cleveland Showgrounds to face Redlands United on Friday night.

Josh McCloughan’s Academy outfit will look to take advantage of the depleted Devils as they seek to lift themselves off the bottom of the NPL table, where they sit two points behind fellow battlers CQFC Energy.

Redlands are coming off a horror Round 16 that saw the finals contenders not only drop three points at home to mid-table Western Pride to effectively end their hopes of a top spot finish, but also lose three players to red cards.

Head coach Matt Chandler will need to reshuffle his side to account for the suspensions of Scott Bow, Haydyn Eames and captain Cameron Draper as the bayside club seeks to maintain their hold on third spot.

Redlands won 3-1 in the corresponding fixture earlier this season at the same venue – the hosts netting twice in the final five minutes to prevail on that occasion.

Palm Beach Sharks (9^th) v Northern Fury (7^th)
Saturday, 13^th July 2013 – Mallawa Complex, 5:30pm

Northern Fury seek to keep their finals hopes alive with a make or break fixture against Palm Beach Sharks at Mallawa Complex on Saturday evening.

Fury remain in the finals hunt following two impressive away wins against Western Pride and QAS in recent rounds, however head coach Gareth Edds remains aware that to qualify for the end of season showpiece his side must secure three points this weekend.

Back to back defeats put paid to Palm Beach Sharks finals hopes in recent weeks, however with the club now looking to an improved showing next year, the many of the Sharks squad still have a point to prove in the remaining rounds.

The two sides drew 2-2 last time they met in Townsville in April – two second half goals from Sharks stand out Chris Lucas cancelling out first half scores from Fury’s now departed Jared Stanley and prolific front man Alex Read.

Western Pride (8^th) v Brisbane City (2^nd)
Saturday, 13^th July 2013 - North Ipswich Reserve, 6:00pm

Brisbane City are looking to extend their NPL Queensland record unbeaten run to 14 games this weekend when they travel to North Ipswich Reserve to face Western Pride on Saturday night.

Some of the polish has come off the City goal-scoring machine in recent weeks, however Glen Volker’s side continue to pick up points against a variety of opposition– last week’s 1-0 margin over Moreton Bay Jets in a disjointed match an indication of City’s adaptability.

Mid-table Western Pride are well and truly out of finals contention, however Kasey Wehrman’s team demonstrated his side can still shape the finals fortunes of their rivals after upsetting Redlands United 3-1 last weekend.

City edged out Pride 3-2 the last time these teams met as part of the Goodwin Park double header in April. However, Pride will need to overcome a winless record at North Ipswich Reserve if they are to overturn that result – the hosts failing to win from four appearances this year at the picturesque venue.

CQFC Energy (11^th) v FNQ FC Heat (10^th)
Saturday, 12^th July 2013 – Rugby Park, 7:00pm

Football returns to Rugby Park this Saturday night as Rockhampton’s CQFC Energy and Cairn’s FNQ FC Heat battle for regional NPL Queensland bragging rights.

Both sides are coming off heavy defeats in the capital last weekend as CQFC fell 8-1 to a rampant Brisbane Strikers at Perry Park, while Heat went down 4-2 to league leaders Olympic FC.

While both sides find themselves out of finals contention they still have a point to prove – CQFC’s head coach Ray Wood continues his attempts to turn around a disappointing season that sees his side sit second last in the standings, while FNQ FC’s Joe Fenech will look to turn promising periods of play from his charges into a full ninety minute display.

Energy won the previous meeting between these sides in April 4-1 to record their first three points of the season. Prolific front man Chris Geddes netting a brace on that occasion.

Sunshine Coast Fire (4^th) v Olympic FC (1^st)
Sunday, 13^th July 2013 – Sunshine Coast Stadium, 2:00pm

NPL Queensland’s best attack will face up against the league’s best defensive outfit when Olympic FC travel to Sunshine Coast Fire for the Round 17 feature game on Sunday afternoon at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

Olympic deservedly sit atop the table after dropping only five points all campaign – an effort undoubtedly assisted by their goal-happy attacking trio of Tim Smits, Danny Byrne and Jai Ingham who have netted 44 of Olympic’s 68 goals this season.

Jim Bellas’ league leaders have won in their last four outings, however will face a tougher challenge from Sunshine Coast Fire, who have been the league’s form defensive side this year.

Fire goalkeeper Antony Hall and his back four led by captain Grieg Henslee have held eight clean sheets this year – the team conceding five goals less than any other side in the competition.

Adtitionally, the hosts have won all but one game at their Kawana home ground this year, while Olympic are yet to lose on the road in eight matches.

Olympic prevailed 4-1 when the sides met at Goodwin Park earlier this season, however Fire have strengthened their attack since that meeting with former players Dylan Firth and Michael Scarff returning to the club in recent weeks.

Olympic will also still be without goalkeeper Mario Aparacio and outfielders Jack Petrie and Nick Efstathis who will serve the second week of their four game suspensions.

 

Words: Michael Flynn (Football Queensland)