Words: Matt Dorman
Image: Alannah Pearson/Olympic FC

Olympic FC held off a fast-finishing Sunshine Coast Fire to win their sixth straight NPL Queensland match, prevailing 2-1 at Goodwin Park on Sunday.

Goals from Rhys Meredith and Danny Byrne either side of the break put the hosts 2-0 ahead before Futa Nakamura pulled one back, but Olympic closed out the contest to safeguard second on the ladder.

The hosts threatened inside the opening minutes, with a series of shots blocked inside the Fire penalty area, however soon Olympic made the breakthrough.

A flowing team move in the 10th minute saw Reuben Way link up with the fast overlapping Kazuya Ito, who struck an inch-perfect pass across the face of goal for Meredith to tuck home at the far post.

The goal was Meredith’s fourth in five matches since joining the Yeronga-based club, and his fellow attacker Way almost doubled the advantage four minutes later but for a brave Chiharu Kosuge block.

Sunshine Coast twice went close to reducing the deficit before the break with both efforts from captain Paul Arnison, who first drove a rushed clearance just wide of the upright before then planting a free-kick on to Brandon Cuminao’s crossbar.

Despite those scares it didn’t take long for the home skipper Byrne to double the lead after the restart, powerfully finishing past Fire keeper Sam Nickolls after a cross from the left.

Fire hit back in the 63rd minute when Nakamura found space inside the penalty area to shoot from a tight angle, deflecting off an Olympic defender and in to halve the the host’s lead.

The end-to-end action almost brought about another goal in the aftermath as Ito dribbled at speed through the middle before feeding Smits on the right.

The striker forced a good low save out of Nickolls, but Brock Messenger still needed to be alert to clear the loose ball ahead of the lurking Byrne.

Fire’s best chance to salvage an equaliser fell to Reyze Kelly in the 76th minute, who did everything right at the back post to rise high and nod Jordan Miller’s cross toward the bottom corner, only for Mark Fisk to clear off the line.

The defender’s intervention proved decisive as his side saw out the 2-1 win without giving up another clear chance.

The three points sees Olympic sits comfortably in second and has now won seven straight in all competitions ahead of Saturday’s Canale Travel Cup Final against Brisbane Strikers at Carmichael Park in Wynnum.

Fire remain a mathematical chance of qualifying for the NPL Queensland Finals Series but have their work cut out after dropping to eighth are seven points behind fourth-placed Moreton Bay United with three matches remaining.

Olympic FC 2 (Rhys MEREDITH 10′ Danny BYRNE 60′)
Sunshine Coast Fire 1 (Futa NAKAMURA 63′)