Round six provided a couple of talking points as teams rebounded from heavy round five defeats and attempted to patch their leaking defences.

Round seven is another test as teams build upon what they’ve learned. What will be the talking points after this round is done?

By Tyler Sunderland

National Premier League (NPL)

 

Lions FC | vs | Sunshine Coast FC
Lions Stadium | Saturday | 6pm

The fire head for the lions’ den

Lions FC remain on three competition wins after last weekend’s narrow 1-0 loss to Western Pride FC. Having another chance at home, the Richlands based side will welcome Sunshine Coast FC to Lions Stadium on Saturday night. The Sunshine Coast will be out to snap a four-game losing streak, and will want to avoid another heavy defeat.

 

Brisbane Strikers FC | vs | Brisbane Roar FC Youth
Perry Park | Saturday | 6pm

Strikers host plucky Roar youth

Brisbane Strikers were involved in the only round six fixture unable to avoid the wet weather. The Strikers’ trip to Cairns FC was postponed, and has been rescheduled to July 21, but the Brisbane side will hope the week off doesn’t affect their momentum. After two losses in their first two games of the season, the Strikers have four competition points, and will be set to add to that this weekend. In their way is an impressive Brisbane Roar Youth side, who are sitting in equal second. The Roar Youth drew 2-2 with Brisbane City in round six, and will hope to go one better in round seven.

 

Brisbane City FC | vs | Redlands United FC
Corporate Travel Management Stadium | Saturday | 6.30pm

City hope to lock down red-hot Redlands

Brisbane City FC will host Redlands United in their round seven fixture, but must contain a Redlands United side that are in goal scoring form. The Red and White were able to score five goals in their victory against Sunshine Coast FC, and will hope goal scorers Shuto Kuboyama and Alexander Warrilow can deliver again. Brisbane City are yet to hit their straps and will want to keep Redlands quiet in the defensive third.

 

Western Pride FC | vs | Moreton Bay United FC
Briggs Road Sporting Complex | Saturday | 7pm

Jets look to lock onto Pride in grand final replay

Briggs Road Sporting Complex will be the venue between the Western Pride and Moreton Bay United on Saturday evening. This top four clash is also a replay of last season’s grand final, and will no doubt be hotly contested, with both sides looking to gain that all important advantage. Both teams are coming off one goal winning margins, and will hope to replicate that success again in round seven. Will one team come out on top?

 

North Queensland United FC | vs | Gold Coast United FC
Brolga Park | Saturday | 7pm

Gold Coast search for a win in the north

Gold Coast United will take one of the longest trips in the NPL, as they face North QLD United at Brolga Park. Gold Coast have yet to add to their first-round 3-1 away victory over Cairns FC, and will hope another trip to the north half of the state will see that change. North QLD have a two-out-of-three record at home, and have showed that taking points from their backyard is no mean feat.

 

Magpies Crusaders FC | vs | SWQ Thunder FC
Sologinkin Oval | Saturday | 7pm

Thunder hope to shock Mackay

Mackay Magpies were narrowly defeated by second place Moreton Bay in round six, and will no-doubt take positives from that game into this weekend’s clash with SWQ Thunder FC. Both teams are sitting on one win, and will look to double their tally against an opponent located in a similar position on the NPL ladder.

 

Olympics FC | vs | Cairns FC
| LIVE STREAM FIXTURE |
Goodwin Park | Sunday | 3pm

Undefeated leaders welcome long-distance travellers

Sunday afternoon NPL action will see Cairns FC travel to Brisbane’s inner south to take on Olympic FC. The Orange and White were on the cusp of a three-game winning streak, before a round five Brisbane City defeat spoiled the party. First placed Olympic FC will hope to deliver a similar fate to Cairns, after dropping their first points in the competition in round six with a draw against Gold Coast United.

 

 

Football Queensland Premier League (FQPL)

 

Mitchelton FC | vs | Southside Eagles
Teralba Park | Friday | 8.15pm

Mustangs face downed Eagles

Mitchelton FC suffered their second loss of the competition in round six, going down 1-0 to the Rovers of Rochedale. After a number of rain-affected fixtures and a bye, Round seven will provide Mitchelton with a chance to get back into the winner’s circle having only played four matches to date. The travelling team in this fixture are the Southside Eagles, who sit just one place behind Mitchelton FC in tenth position and are coming off a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Sunshine Coast Wanderers.

 

Peninsula Power | vs | Wide Bay Buccaneers
AJ Kelly Park | Saturday | 6pm

Buccaneers look to steer clear of powerful Peninsula

Peninsula Power solidified their current lead on the competition in round six, in their mid-week catch up game against Holland Park. In what was a top of the table clash, Peninsula Power were convincing 6-1 victors, which included a hat-trick from Dean Briggs. Their opponents this week are Wide Bay, who will travel to AJ Kelly Park looking for their first points of 2018. They will be buoyed by their improved performance, albeit a loss, against Logan Lightning in round six.

 

Sunshine Coast Wanderers | vs | Holland Park Hawks FC
Ballinger Park | Saturday | 6pm

Hawks flock to Sunshine Coast to regain top three

The undefeated Sunshine Coast Wanderers sit on ten competition points – equal to their round seven opponents - and will be hoping to go three points past them after Saturday night. The Hawks had their bellies exposed against Peninsula last weekend, which was their first loss of the campaign. The Wanderers, however, enjoy encounters with birds of prey, as they discovered their shooting boots with a 5-0 win over Southside Eagles in round six. An intriguing encounter which will shape the top three positions.

 

Logan Lightning FC | vs | Ipswich Knights
Cornubia Park | Saturday | 6pm

Can the Knights withstand the Lightning?

Logan Lightning were able to take all three points from the Wide Bay Buccaneers in round six, but must now prove they can win at home as well. The Lightning have only managed a draw at home this season, and will hope their clash with Ipswich Knights can change that statistic. For the eighth placed Knights, a win will see them leap frog their opponents, and potentially go as high as fifth spot.

 

Eastern Suburbs FC | vs | Rochedale Rovers
| LIVE STREAM FIXTURE |
Heath Park | Saturday | 6.30pm

Tigers lay in wait for Rovers

Heath Park will welcome back the Tigers of the East in FQPL action, who haven’t been at home in over a month. Having only played three games, with a number of rained out fixtures, Eastern Suburbs may very well be itching to face the Rochedale Rovers this weekend. The Rovers gained a 1-0 victory in round six, and will look to make it two on the trot this weekend.

 

Capalaba Bulldogs | vs | Souths United
John Fredericks Sportsfields | Saturday | 6.30pm

Capalaba fighting to be top bulldog

The Capalaba Bulldogs and Souths United will go head-to-head in the final fixture of FQPL round seven. Currently sitting in second place, the Bulldogs will be looking for another three points, as they sit one win behind competition leaders Peninsula Power. For Souths United, their round six bye will have given goal scorers Kado Aoci and Ethan Joseph Grimley the chance to celebrate, as they will be looking to add to their tallies of five and four goals respectively.

 

Wolves FC will be the side with the rest this weekend, as they have the round seven bye.

 

National Premier League Women (NPLW)

 

Brisbane Roar FC/NTC | vs | Gold Coast United
Lex Bell Oval | Friday | 7pm

Roar hope to keep Gold Coast quiet in M1 derby

Brisbane Roar FC/NTC will face-off against Gold Coast United in their round seven clash. The Roar managed a 5-0 victory over Logan Lightning in round six, and will look to give Gold Coast the same fate. The Blue and Yellow of the Gold Coast will have other ideas, with free-scoring striker Meaghan McElligott looking to add to her twelve goals so far this season.

 

Gap FC | vs | Logan Lightning
Wolton Bridge Reserve | Friday | 8.30pm

Logan look to bridge the Gap

After not taking the field in round six due to the wet weather, The Gap FC, who are undefeated, will hope to continue their strong start to the season, with four wins in as many games. Their opponents are Logan Lightning, who will look to snap a losing streak after recently going down to Brisbane Roar FC/NTC and Mudgeeraba respectively.

 

Moreton Bay United | vs | Lions FC
| LIVE STREAM FEATURE |
Wolter Park | Friday | 8.30pm

Jets take aim at Lions

Lions FC is the only other team in the NPLW yet to receive their first defeat of the season. Fifth placed Moreton Bay United will be aiming to cause an upset, when they battle it out at Wolter Park. Moreton Bay’s Jazmyn Perin found the back of the net four times last weekend against Eastern Suburbs, and will be looking for a repeat of that goal-scoring performance.

 

SWQ Thunder | vs | Eastern Suburbs
Gatton Football Club | Saturday | 3pm

Tigers journey to the south west on the hunt for three points

Eastern Suburbs FC will travel west to face the SWQ Thunder in Saturday afternoon football action. The Thunder are hoping a home ground advantage will help them grab their first points of the campaign, while the Tigers of the east are looking to level their playing record of two wins and three losses.

 

Western Pride | vs | Capalaba Bulldogs
Briggs Road | Saturday | 5pm

Pride host Bulldogs

The Pride of the West will do battle with the Capalaba Bulldogs on home turf in round seven. Western Pride will be aiming for their first win in four games, against a Capalaba side, that despite sitting in tenth place, has scored seventeen goals this season.

 

Mudgeeraba SC | vs | Mitchelton
Sid Bigg Park | Sunday | 3pm

Wallabies plan to outpace Mustangs

Mudgeeraba SC were able to grab their first win of the 2018 season in round five, with a victory over Logan Lightning. They backed that up with a surprise 4-4 draw with Gold Coast United in round six. A vastly improved team from their first round 0-17 loss to The Gap. They will be looking to go one better at home against Mitchelton FC, who have only recorded one loss this season and have been a hard side to overcome.

 

Souths United | vs | Sunshine Coast Wanderers
Wakerley Park | Sunday | 6pm

High-flying Souths welcome Wanderers

The lightning quick synthetic field will host the final game of NPLW round seven, when the Sunshine Coast Wanderers travel to Souths. Sitting in first spot (two games ahead of second), Souths United can stay on top of the standings with a win at home. The Wanderers will be looking to grab their first win of the season, and begin their desired climb up the NPLW table in their inaugural season.