Words: Michael Flynn
Image: Moreton Bay United

Moreton Bay United coach Terry Kirkham is adamant his Jets side must win their next three games if they are to qualify for the NPL Queensland Finals Series.

After finding themselves in the top two through much of the campaign, Kirkham’s side have dropped outside the top four in the past month after losing three of their past four matches.

Kirkham said his side will need to regain their winning edge in coming weeks if they are to qualify for their first semi-final in the club’s second season.

“We’ve got Northern Fury and where they sit on the table, then we’ve got South West Queensland Thunder where they sit on the table and we got Brisbane City in around us,” he explained.

“That’s three key games that we need to win before we start worrying about Palm Beach and Strikers for the last two rounds. So the next three weeks for us is vital.”

He admitted that it will be a challenge with Golden Boot contender Royce Brownlie battling illness this week while Jordan Farina is suspended for Saturday’s match against Fury. Attacking midfielder Jared Austin is also unavailable.

“If we got the best twelve or thirteen (players) available then we can do it, we’ve already proved that this year. But if we lose two or three key players then we are into our lower depth and that has caused us a problem,” Kirham explained.

“On the flipside we’ve got to make sure we score our chances. In the last weeks against Sunshine Coast Fire and against Olympic we just didn’t put our chances away,” he added referring to the side’s recent run of losses.

Jets also lost a mid-week friendly 8-1 against Brisbane Roar at Ballymore, but Kirkham said the young side he fielded on the night learned some valuable lessons about the nature of professional football.

“They got experience to play at a tempo and all of the things that we put forward to them on the first day at training – speed, work rate, the difference between sprinting and jogging, time on the ball, two touch play - all the things we put forward for the kids to come to this level they got to experience.”

One stand out on the night was 17-year-old goal scorer Dane Forsyth, who netted Jets’ sole goal early in the second half before striking the post later in the contest and seeing an audacious lob cleared off the line.

“He came from Samford and we signed him after playing in the lower leagues. He’s been developing very well for us through the Under 20’s and I have a lot of faith in him,” Kirkham said.

Jets host Northern Fury at Wolter Park this Saturday night in their second last home match of the campaign. Kick-off is scheduled for 6PM.