Words: Steve Pitman
Image: Brisbane Strikers

Brisbane Strikers Coach Chay Hews says his side will not play for a draw in their match against Moreton Bay United this Saturday night.

Strikers need only a single point from the match to book their second straight NPL Queensland Finals appearance; however, with Jets seeking a win to take leapfrog Strikers into fourth place, Hews says his team can’t take a backward step.

“You’ve got to be in the right frame of mind in such a big game,” Hews said.

“So I guess the best way to approach it is to try to win the game and make sure you don’t concede any goals. I think we play our best football when we go out to try and win games, so that’s probably the way we’ll approach it,” he added.

With the pressure firmly on the hosts, Hews suggested that might play into the hands of his in-form side, who defeated Brisbane Roar NYL 2-0 in their last outing.

“We know they’re going to come out all guns blazing and they’ve got to go for a win, so hopefully that provides an opportunity for us to open them up a little bit,” he said.

Hews added that he had no concerns about playing on the smaller dimensions of the Wolter Park pitch, which is one of the shortest in NPL Queensland.

“Looking back at that I think it’s a field that might suit us if we do have to make it compact and not give away too much. It’s probably the right sort of field for that.”

Several former Strikers players are part of Jets squad this season, including Alex Henderson, Corey Hooper, Jake Harvey and Jordan Farina.

“If you play against your old club, and some of your mates and things like that, you always want to try and lift and get one over them so it’s a little extra incentive for them”, Hews said

“But in saying that, I think that those guys are actually all great guys and I feel comfortable saying they’re mates of mine.”

“I think they’re the type of guys that, no matter who they’re playing, they are going to give a hundred percent,” he concluded.

Kick-off at Wolter Park between Strikers and Jets is scheduled for 6PM. The match will be bookended by the Youth clash at 3:30PM and Under-18s at PM.