FNQ Prove Too Hot For Jets
FNQ FC Heat confirmed their reputation as legitimate title contenders on Saturday night following a 2-0 win over Moreton Bay United in Cairns.
Second half goals to Mqondisi Nkiwane and Jamie Gosling secured the result for the hosts, extending their run of form to seven straight wins and replacing Jets in second place in standings.
Both sides favoured an attacking approach to the contest from the outset with chances at either end of the pitch in the opening exchanges.
Jake Keslake saw his second minute strike earn the hosts an early corner, before Royce Brownlie’s 9th minute strike deflected wide of the target for the visitors.
Jets forward Charles Mendy displayed his attacking wares early but couldn’t find the breakthrough after finding himself one-on-one with Heat goalkeeper Daniel Valcicak on the quarter hour.
The chances continued to be shared as Matt Murphy shot wide of the mark for Heat before Valcicak produced a sharp save to deny Brownlie only minutes later.
The visitors failed the take advantage of a several opportunities prior to the break as Mendy headed over the bar before Jordan Farina and Jared Austin skewed their efforts wide of the target.
Heat similarly failed to make the most of two late chances when Nkiwane and Alex Smith both failed to convert one-on-one with Jets goalkeeper Luke Borean.
Heat took more control of the contest after the restart but again suffered for wayward finishing as Murphy and Smith both saw struck their efforts wide of the target.
Valcicak remained busy in the Heat goalmouth, diffusing several crosses and again denying Golden Boot leader Brownlie with a pair of sharp saves on the hour.
The hosts broke the deadlock on 65 minutes when Nkiwane ran on to a through-ball and delivered a composed finish for his third goal in three games.
Jets pushed for an equaliser in the final twenty minutes but struggled to fashion a genuine chance on goal against the increasingly dogged Heat defence.
In the final exchanges Ethan Docherty and Murphy saw their attempts to put the result to bed saved by Borean, before Gosling created enough space on the counter attack to settle the contest in the fifth minute of time added on.
The result continues Heat’s sharp turn-around in form since Martin Docherty took the coaching reins in mid-April with the club in eleventh place.
Early season front-runners Jets now drop to third in the standings and could fall out of the top four by the round’s conclusion with five games scheduled for Sunday.
FNQ FC Heat 2 (Mqondisi NKIWANE 65’, Jamie GOSLING 90+5’)
Moreton Bay United 0
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