Sunshine Coast attacking duo Michael Scarff and Dylan Firth have returned to the Fire just in time for the club’s NPL Queensland finals push – the pair scoring a brace apiece over the past two weeks.

Scarff netted a double against QAS at Eric Evans Reserve in the Round 15 Ipswich double-header, while Firth finished off Fire’s 4-0 defeat of Palm Beach with a brace on Sunday afternoon at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

The pairing may prove to be the last piece in the finals puzzle for Fire coach Kevin Aherne-Evans, who has repeatedly lamented his side’s poor finishing this season.

Fire sit fourth in the NPL Queensland standings but both Scarff and Firth previously achieved Queensland State League silverware with the Sunshine Coast club.

Attacking midfielder Scarff played with Fire during the 2008 season, winning the QSL Premiership and Championship double.

“Being part of the squad for QSL inaugural season was a great experience. I learned a lot playing at a higher level and winning the Premiership and Grand Final double, which no one expected us to do, was very rewarding,” Scarff said.

Scarff has been playing football for 18 years and played for local Sunshine Coast Premiership side Maroochydore FC since leaving the club.

After returning to Fire three weeks ago, Scarff has played an instrumental role in the team’s three straight wins against Western Pride, Queensland Academy of Sport and Palm Beach Sharks.

“The Fire team this year is exciting, there are a lot of new, young players coming through as well as a lot of experience in the side which can give it the right balance,” he said.

“My ambitions for the rest of the year are to stay fit, play the rest of the games left this season and help the Fire make the finals.”

Firth returns to Queensland after a short stint at Hume City in the Victorian Premier League. The attacking midfielder played with Fire throughout the Championship-winning 2012 season.

“After having a year off football I decided to get back into it so I went down to the Fire trials and became part of the team,” he said of last season. “Last year we had an awesome season, with a great group of players in the squad.”

Some of Firth’s highlights during his time at Sunshine Coast include scoring his first senior goal against rivals Brisbane Strikers and winning the QSL Grand Final.

Firth started playing football when he was just four years old, and has also previously played for Brisbane City and Sydney club Blacktown Demons. At the start of this season he headed to Victoria to play for Hume City FC, an experience Firth said helped his football development.

“It was a very professional down there; mixing with a team of experienced footballers from all over the world helped me learn as a player,” Firth said.

Firth started training with Fire again two weeks ago and said he was hopeful the team would make the finals, “There is definitely another good bunch of players at the Fire this year,” he said.

 

Words: Emily Wilson (Sunshine Coast Fire) and Michael Flynn (Football Queensland)
Image: Nick Milton