Brisbane Strikers are the inaugural NPL Queensland Under 20 premiers following a highly entertaining 3-3 draw with Brisbane City at Perry Park on Saturday afternoon.

A hat-trick from Daniel Sharov wasn’t enough for the second-placed to City to reel in the divison leading Strikers, who only needed a draw to secure the club’s first NPL Queensland silverware.

Sharov opened accounts for City inside fifteen minutes before Strikers took control of the opening half - Joel Hark heading the hosts level from a corner on 24 minutes, before Martin Devine produced a left-footed volley to take the lead before the half-time break.

Aiden Naughton scored Strikers third with a sharp volley from the top of the box nearing the hour mark before Divine spurned the chance to seal the win shortly after by skewing his first time shot wide of the target.

Sharov levelled terms with two goals in as many minutes in the final fifteen minutes – his second a headed effort from five yards before sealing the hat-trick with a bottom corner finish after being teed up by Jayden Liddicoat.

Strikers goalkeeper Will Rockett produced a series of telling saves in the final minutes to see off a spirited final surge from City to secure his side the premiership.

Strikers Under 20’s coaches John Battersby and Milos Strugar were full of praise for their charges following the game.

“While we’re really happy about winning the premiership – that’s not our job. Our job is to create men out of boys and give the first team as many players as possible that can take the step up,” said Strugar.

“For most of the year, the Under 20s and the seniors trained together. They benefit from each other because the high tempo is there, you have to be tougher and you can’t be at a lower level because that brings the training for the first team down,” Strugar further explained.

“They’ve all stepped up and grown from that and I think that was key for us,” he surmised.

Battersby was particularly pleased with the composure in the final minutes of the closely fought match-up against City.

“Today they put together 90 minutes of football and looked like they deserved to be there,” Battersby explained.

“At this level you have to start teaching the kids how to win games and how to close games out. At half time we told them if the game gets tight then we need to close out the game in this way.”

“Today they applied it, they stuck to it and it was really good to see. Sometimes it can go in one ear and out the other, but not today,” Battersby said.

Strugar also pointed to some of the man management challenges that come with coaching in the Under 20’s division.

“Managing those steps into adult hood is the hardest part of our job. The boys have girlfriends, they’re making the transition from school to university and work – it’s an interesting part of their lives,” Strugar explained.

"Once they have the right attitude then everything flows on from there."

Strikers Technical Director and seniors Head Coach David Large was full of praise for the club’s Under 20s.

“I think it’s unbelievable they’ve been able to do so well this year. They’ve been disjointed in terms of personnel - a lot of players have come and gone,” Large said.

“It’s been about the boys learning to be senior footballers and standing up. And I think they’ve done that very, very well.”

Large also highlighted the role of Strugar and Battersby, saying the pair “had done a great job”.

“It’s not been an easy year for Milos and John. All in all, just as much as the boys, they deserve any praise that comes their way.”

Strikers Under 20’s will attempt to qualify for the Under 20’s Grand Final against South West Queensland Thunder at Goodwin Park on Sunday afternoon in the second of two NPL Queensland Under 20 semi-finals.

City Under 20’s will host the first semi final against Olympic FC on Saturday night at Spencer Park.

 

Words: Michael Flynn (Football Queensland)
Image: Tony Dadsen