Words: Michael Flynn
Additional Reporting: Steve Pitman
Images: Michele Pitman

Rhys Meredith struck a double as Brisbane Strikers notched their fourth straight win - shutting out Sunshine Coast FC 3-0 at Perry Park.

Fire were left rueing an early penalty miss from Paul Mikula as Meredith found the back of the net twice before half-time to lift his season’s tally to six goals and move top of the league’s Golden Boot race.

Fraser Hills then rounded out the result early in the second-half with his first goal of the campaign to snuff out any hope of a Fire comeback.

The win extends Strikers undefeated run against Fire in PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues to seven games since 2013 and marks a third consecutive clean sheet for Strikers goalkeeper Sebastian Usai.

Fire’s second straight defeat sees them remain mired at tenth in the league standings, while Strikes also remain unmoved in third place.

Key Moments

15’ – CHANCE FOR FIRE – Fire win a penalty but Paul Mikula’s spot-kick is denied by the crossbar

22’ – GOAL FOR STRIKERS – Rhys Meredith opens accounts by squeaking his shot through the legs of a defender and Fire goalkeeper Samuel Nickolls

34’ – CHANCE FOR FORE – Jeremy Stewart looks to restore parity from outside the penalty area but directs his effort straight at Strikers goalkeeper Sebastian Usai

35’ – CHANCE FOR STRIKERS – Shelford Dais delivers a clever cut-back for the waiting Rhys Meredith but his shot is denied by the legs of Samuel Nickolls

42’ – GOAL FOR STRIKERS – Trent Clulow delivers a pin-point cross that is volleyed home by Rhys Meredith from close range following a length of the field passingbuild-up

50’ – GOAL FOR STRIKERS – Fraser Hills and Shelford Dais combine to cut a swathe through the Fire defence, culminating in Hills tapping home from Dais’ final pass

64’ – CHANCE FOR STRIKERS – Rhys Meredith goes in search of his hat-trick from a free-kick but his denied by a fumbling save by Samuel Nickolls

85’ – CHANCE FOR STRIKERS – Substitute Luke Marsh looks to ice the result but sees his effort clatter against the crossbar

86’ – CHANCE FOR STRIKERS – Another opportunity for Luke Marsh but this time he scoops his shot over the crossbar from point-blank range

What They Said

“We said at the start of April that this was going to be a huge month for us. We’ve got six games and we needed to win all of them basically. We’ve started well and I see no reason why that can’t continue.” – Sebastian Usai, Brisbane Strikers FC goalkeeper

“When I come into the job the team I had inherited had lost every single game. We had 13 players and two sixteen year olds in a squad of 15. It wasn’t pleasant. So we brought four players in and that made us competitive. We aren’t going to beat teams at this moment in time but we’re competitive now. Beginning of the season we would’ve lost (this game) by seven or eight.“ – Sam Saif, Sunshine Coast FC coach

Match Details

PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues 2016 – Round 7

Saturday, April 16
Perry Park, Brisbane

Brisbane Strikers FC 3 defeat Sunshine Coast FC 0

Strikers Goals – Rhys MEREDITH 23’ 43’, Fraser HILLS 50’
Strikers Yellow Cards – Christopher MAHER 29’, Greig HENSLEE 29’
Striker Red Cards – none

Strikers Squad – 1. Sebastian USAI, 2. Christopher MAHER, 5. Greig HENSLEE, 6. Fraser HILLS (19. Luke MARSH 69’), 7. Shelford DAIS, 8. Michael ANGUS, 9. Rhys MEREDITH, 13. Sam KNIGHT, 14. Jake MCLEAN, 17. Hiroki OMORI (16. Fraser STEVENS 82’), 18. Trent CLULOW (10. Alistair DAVIS 82’)
Strikers Unused – 12. Shaun CARLOS, 20. Michael WEIER

Fire Goals – none
Fire Yellow Cards – Jeremy STEWART 56’, Connor HANCOCK 61’
Fire Red Cards – none

Fire Squad – 1. Samuel NICKOLLS, 4. Christopher JANCEVSKI, 6. Connor HANCOCK, 8. Grant DE CHASTEL, 9. Brady CRONK (3. Giacomo MELLINO 78’), 11. Jeremy STEWART, 15. Jordan LOY, 16. Matthew LYELL (2. Timothy HOLLINGWORTH 67’), 17. Paul BROWNLIE (7. Cameron NAIRN 46’), 18. Paul MIKULA, 19. Schoichi KOSHIMIZU
Fire Unused -10. Kobe FULLER, 13. Blake HUSTON

Match Officials – Ben COOK (referee), Justin TEMPLE (assistant), Brodie MAIN (assistant), Vicky CLARK (fourth)