Words: Matt Dorman
Image: Paul Smith/SWQ Thunder FC

Round 18 of the PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland season shapes to be equally influential in the race for the title and for fourth spot.

Brisbane Roar FC Youth v Moreton Bay United FC
Saturday, 25 July / Perry Park / 3:00PM

The challenge has been set down to Moreton Bay United with Brisbane Strikers’ midweek win over Olympic FC relegating Jets to second place.

The long-time league leaders do have the benefit of two matches in hand to erase the single-point margin, beginning against Brisbane Roar Youth on Saturday.

Young Roar will be hopeful of testing their more experienced counterparts having lost a number of their more mature leaders to Hyundai A-League pre-season training.

Despite their slump, and having played fewer matches than all but one team, John Sime’s side still boasts the third-best goal difference in the league.

Palm Beach SC v South West Queensland Thunder FC
Saturday, 25 July / Mallawa Complex / 5:00PM

Grae Piddick’s team may have more prestigious concerns ahead but the Palm Beach SC coach will expect no lapse when they host SWQ Thunder.

Sharks’ Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 tie against South Melbourne looms large and the visit of Thunder presents the chance for momentum.

Tim Jackson’s brace in the 3-1 win over Sunshine Coast FC a fortnight ago kept Sharks in the Finals Series reckoning with eight matches remaining.

Thunder need to find extra avenues to goal to trouble the reigning champions having been unable to notch more than a single goal in a match since March.

Brisbane City FC v Northern Fury FC
Saturday, 25 July / Corporate Travel Management Stadium / 6:00PM

Northern Fury appeared set to begin delivering on their promise with consecutive road wins until last week’s return home promptly ended any run.

FNQ Heat hit five in that match, extending their rivals’ recent record in Townsville to just one win from five.

Fury will eye another relaxing escape on Saturday with a trip to Brisbane City, a team they beat 3-1 in April.

City have since improved but suffered a setback in their last-start 5-0 loss against Olympic.

Young attacker Anthony Poljak looked a threat despite the defeat and could be counted on to provide support to Antonio Murray.

Western Pride FC v FNQ FC Heat
Saturday, 25 July / Briggs Road Complex / 7:00PM

Just two weeks after holding Brisbane Strikers scoreless at Perry Park, FNQ Heat’s 5-1 demolition of Northern Fury put the club well and truly back in the frame to match last year’s Semi-Final berth.

Victory moved the Cairns club three points shy of fourth-placed Redlands United in the scramble for the top four.

Pride also enter the contest on a high after sweeping Sunshine Coast 3-0 in Graham Harvey’s first match in charge.

Harrison Sawyer celebrated the beginning of the new era with brace to ensure there is plenty to play for on both sides come Saturday night.

Sunshine Coast FC v Redlands United
Sunday, 26 July / Sunshine Coast Stadium / 2:00PM

Sunshine Coast need a share of good news and there is no better place to start than taking down one of the competition’s most in-form teams.

That will be easier said than done against Redlands United, who have hit 12 goals across the past two weeks en route to a five-match winning streak.

Fire, in contrast, are without victory in their past nine fixtures and have slipped to 10^th after sitting inside the top four at the midway point of the season.

Sunday’s hosts can look to their Round 7 defeat of Redlands as a source of inspiration.