Words: Carina Druce & Daniel Scharf
Image: Sam Wood/FNQ FC Heat

A hat-trick to FNQ FC Heat forward Crios O’Hare helped his depleted side to a gutsy 5-2 win over Western Pride at Briggs Road Complex on Saturday night.

Ravaged by illness and playing in sodden conditions, Nkiwane Mqondisi and Kevin Ward added to O’Hare’s haul in the backs-to-the-wall performance that saw Pride’s Lincoln Rule strike twice from the penalty spot for the hosts.

Heat entered the contest without first team regulars Zenon Caravella, Josh Jennison, Ethan Docherty and Alex Smith, and Pride took advantage in the opening exchanges.

Peter Drager proved a handful early for Heat before Kwang Mook Lim fired missed the target with the host’s first attempt on goal of the contest.

Heat soon settled as Jamie Gosling forced Pride goalkeeper Andres Pascoe into an early save, while O’Hare struck the side netting with his first chance.

Drager continued to threaten for Pride and earned a penalty on 18 minutes after being felled by Calum Wood inside the box, allowing Rule to open accounts with the spot kick.

O’Hare replied on 26 minutes for the visitors, wriggling free of his markers and putting a powerful left footed shot around Pascoe into the bottom right corner of the net.

Mqondisi edged Heat in front just prior to the half time, wrong-footing his marker before cooly slotting the ball past Pascoe.

Heat increasingly dominating following the restart before O’Hare extended the advantage on 56 minutes, turning in a free-kick at the far post after slipping in behind the Pride line.

Pride fought their way back into the contest just after the hour as Drager’s stinging shot struck the arm of a Heat defender, allowing Rule to strike again from the penalty spot for his eighth goal of the campaign.

Drager and substitute Cameron Kleinhans continued to press up the pitch searching for an equaliser for Pride before O’Hare put paid to a comeback on 76 minutes – heading past Pascoe to extend his season’s tally to eleven.

Substitute goalkeeper Kevin Ward, playing as an outfielder in the depleted Heat side, sealed the result in stoppage time after turning in O’Hare’s cross.

The result returns Heat to the NPL Queensland top four, ahead of finals rivals Brisbane Strikers on goal difference.

Pride’s third straight loss sees them a mathematical certainty of finishing the season in second-last place, ahead the winless SWQ Thunder.

Western Pride 2 (Lincoln RULE 19’p 63’p)
FNQ FC Heat 5 (Crios O’HARE 26’ 56’ 76’, Mqondisi NKIWANE 43', Kevin WARD 90+1')