NPL Round 21 Preview
The race for the premiership is over but the quest for finals football is only just heating up in NPL Queensland.
Stay up to date with all the exciting Round 21 fixtures in the weekly preview.
Western Pride (8th) v Moreton Bay Jets (7th)
Saturday, 10th August 2013 – North Ipswich Reserve, 6:00pm
Western Pride will seek maximum points this Saturday night at North Ipswich Reserve as the club hosts its final home game of their debut NPL Queensland season against Moreton Bay Jets.
Both clubs were newly formed for the inaugural NPL season and since earned a reputation for the physicality of their workmanlike performances as they battled in mid-table for much of the year.
Additionally, both sides are coming off two goal defeats last weekend – Jets falling 3-1 to premiers Olympic FC to drop out of finals contention while Pride went down 4-2 against CQFC Energy in Rockhampton.
Pride will find extra motivation to close out their home fixtures with a win after losing to Jets 1-0 in a highly charged meeting earlier this year – the May match finishing prematurely due to a lighting failure.
Queensland Academy of Sport (12th) v CQFC Energy (11th)
Sunday, 11th August 2013 – Rugby Park, 1:00pm
The battle to avoid the inaugural NPL Queensland wooden spoon heats up on Sunday afternoon when bottom placed Queensland Academy of Sport travel to Rockhampton to face second-last CQFC Energy at Rugby Park.
Despite some impressive glimpses throughout the year, both sides have struggled for consistency and will relish the challenge of salvaging some late season pride as they look toward next year’s campaign.
In an interesting twist for a bottom of the table match-up, both sides are coming off wins last round. CQFC Energy dusting Western Pride 4-2 at home, while Academy pulled off one of the upsets of the season to defeat FNQ FC Heat 5-2 in Cairns.
A win for CQFC will ensure the club avoids a last place finish in their first season, while three points for QAS will see Energy fall to the bottom of the ladder.
Energy won the corresponding fixture earlier this season 3-2 in highly charged game that produced 8 bookings.
Palm Beach Sharks (9th) v FNQ FC Heat (10th)
Sunday, 11th August 2013 – Mallawa Complex, 2:00pm
Palm Beach Sharks are looking for a positive start to a hectic close to their regular season schedule when they host FNQ FC Heat at Mallawa Complex on Sunday afternoon.
The Sharks face four games in the next three weeks as they seek to finish their up and down year on a high – the club prevailing just the once, and scoring only four goals, since a three game winning streak in May started to turn heads.
FNQ FC have similarly experienced a roller coaster season this year – interim coach Joe Fenech doing well to guide the young squad under difficult circumstances since taking over half way through the campaign.
The Cairns-based club will be looking to extract revenge for a 3-0 defeat to the Sharks at Barlow Park earlier in the season – the since departed Matt Hilton scoring a brace for Palm Beach on that occasion.
Sunshine Coast Fire (3rd) v Brisbane Strikers (4th)
Sunday, 11th August 2013 – Sunshine Coast Stadium, 2:00pm
Sunshine Coast Fire welcome old rivals Brisbane Strikers to Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday afternoon as both sides seek to sure up places in the end of season finals series.
Strikers will go into the game without key forward Josh McVey who will miss the remainder of the NPL season after suffering a knee injury in his side’s 11-0 midweek mauling at the hands of Brisbane Roar.
That result stands in contrast to a recent run of form for Strikers against NPL opponents – the club winning their past five games to get their season back on track following a mid-year slump.
Fire’s form is more straightforward following the club’s impressive 6-1 win over second-placed Brisbane City last weekend at Spencer Park. The result was Fire’s third straight three points against top half opposition following wins over Redlands and Northern Fury.
Fire will also find extra motivation as they look to overturn a shabby performance against Strikers earlier this season – the hosts prevailing 3-0 at Perry Park back in late May.
Northern Fury (7th) v Brisbane City (2nd)
Sunday, 11t August 2013 – Townsville Sports Reserve, 3:00pm
Northern Fury will seek to reward their passionate fan base with a win this Sunday afternoon when the club hosts its final home match of the season against Brisbane City at Townsville Sports Reserve.
The gallant Fury finally fell out of the NPL Queensland finals race last round following a goalless draw with Redlands United – the result continuing an impressive run of form that has seen the Townsville club lose only once in their past 9 outings.
For their part, City are hoping to find the form that has seen them figure in the NPL top four for much of the season following a humbling 6-1 defeat at the hands of Sunshine Coast Fire last weekend.
Despite sitting in second place, City can still miss out on finals placings in coming weeks unless they secure four points from their final three matches.
History is in City’s favour, however, after they defeated Fury at 5-0 at Spencer Park earlier this season – Antonio Murray, Yoshi Sakurai and Kenneth Dougall adding to the since departed Eric Frazier’s double on that occasion.
Olympic FC (1st) v Redlands United (5th)
Sunday, 11th August 2013 – Goodwin Park, 5:00pm
Redlands United will hope to catch newly-crowned NPL Queensland Premiers Olympic FC resting on their laurels on Sunday afternoon when they travel to Goodwin Park for their crucial Round 20 match-up.
The Devils are looking to get their finals campaign back on track after recent results saw them drop out of the top four – last weekend’s nil-all draw with Northern Fury extending the margin to fourth spot to three points.
Standing in Redlands way is an Olympic outfit that has swept all before it this season. The club has won all but three of their 20 competitive fixtures this season, scoring 84 goals and boasting a league best goal difference of 51 in the process.
The premiers prevailed 5-3 when these sides met at Cleveland Showgrounds earlier this year – fan favourite and club captain Danny Byrne netting a four goal haul in the come from behind victory.
Words: Michael Flynn (Football Queensland)
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