The inaugural SEQ Futsal Premier League season kicked-off in supreme style on Saturday with six senior fixtures producing a staggering 70 goals.
Four matches ended with teams separated by no more than a solitary goal while only one club managed victories in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Head here to view the standings after round one for all age groups.
MEN | South Brisbane v Arana United
Inaugural title favourites South Brisbane were made to work for their season-opening 9-4 victory over a Conor O’Neill-inspired Arana United.
After O’Neill – playing alongside twin brother and fellow former Brisbane Roar youth team player Stephen – scored a surprise opener for Arana, South Brisbane quickly hit back through two Dallas Dack goals.
Connor George and Adam Stacey extended the hosts’ lead before O’Neill struck twice either side of half-time to reduce the margin to a solitary goal.
However, South Brisbane’s experience eventually shone through as a further four from Stacey eventually outshone O’Neill’s haul and ended Arana’s challenge.
South Brisbane 9 (Adam STACEY 5, Dallas DACK 2, Connor GEORGE, Sam BALLSCHMIETER)
Arana United 4 (Conor O’NEILL 4)
WOMEN | South Brisbane v Arana United
Sofie Persson’s four goals ultimately proved the difference as South Brisbane edged out an impressive Arana United 6-5.
Locked 2-2 at the break thanks to Alex Armstrong’s goal on the stroke of half-time, Arana continued their momentum after the restart with two quickfire goals earning a 4-2 advantage.
South Brisbane launched their fightback through Veronica Ptak-Zylka before Persson and Bethany Ashton traded strikes in a frantic three-goal, two-minute period.
End-to-end action followed until Persson, the Puma F-League golden boot winner, netted the decisive sixth goal for South Brisbane at the death.
South Brisbane 6 (Sofie PERSSON 4, Nicola EAGLE, Veronica PTAK-ZYLKA)
Arana United 5 (Gabby ZGRAJEWSKI 2, Alex ARMSTRONG, Jess DILLON, Bethany ASHTON)
MEN | Bundaberg Wildcats v Redlands City
Bundaberg Wildcats battled back from a goal down at half-time to seal an 8-8 draw against a youthful Redlands City in arguably the game of the round.
Driven forward by co-captain Andre Barbosa, the visitors fought to gain an early advantage and carried a 4-3 lead into the break despite being unable to convert an open-goal and 10m penalty opportunity.
Redlands remained on track to secure a hard-earned away win in a see-sawing encounter until Bundaberg, led by three Laurie Stephenson goals, capped their tireless comeback with a final equaliser just moments from full-time.
Bundaberg Wildcats 8 (Laurie STEPHENSON 3, Cohen READ 2, Sam MEYER, Dylan CARNEY, Daniel WATSON)
Redlands City 8 (Andre BARBOSA 3, Jack GREENLAND 2, Paolo VALVOLETTI, Lewis GIBSON, OWN GOAL)
WOMEN | Bundaberg Wildcats v Redlands City
Redlands City recovered from three goals down but ultimately fell short in a narrow 7-6 defeat to Bundaberg Wildcats.
After the home side got an early jump on their opponents, Redlands found their groove and squared the ledger at 3-3 by half-time.
Bundaberg, buoyed by home ground advantage, roared back into life at the start of the second-half with three unanswered goals.
The contest was still not over though as Redlands, with Samantha Vanderstam out of goal and onto the scoresheet, again responded with three straight goals of their own.
However, it was the hosts who had the final say via a seventh and match-winning goal in the final minutes.
Bundaberg Wildcats 7 (Kathryn JENKIN 3, Madelyn McCRACKEN 2, Beth PARISH, Leticia MAXEY-FISHER)
Redlands City 6 (Brooke LESLIE 2, Debora SANTOS 2, Anabelle GIBSON, Samantha VANDERSTAM)
MEN | Sunshine Coast Wave v Peninsula Futsal Club
Sunshine Coast Wave announced themselves as one of the teams to beat with Joshua Nisbet scoring three goals in a commanding 9-3 win over Peninsula Futsal Club.
Early goals from Nisbet, Julian Edwards and Nathan Pike set Sunshine Coast on the way to a 4-1 half-time lead.
Peninsula clawed back two further goals after the restart through Chris Culleton and Brayden Clark but were unable to make further inroads as the hosts’ six-goal win sent them to the top of the ladder.
Sunshine Coast Wave 9 (Joshua NISBET 3, Julian EDWARDS 2, Nathan PIKE, James VERDIN, Ben PARKINSON, OWN GOAL)
Peninsula Futsal Club 3 (Steve THOMAS, Brayden CLARK, Chris CULLETON)
WOMEN | Sunshine Coast Wave v Peninsula Futsal Club
Peninsula grabbed their first senior win of the season as Taylah Brotherston’s brace helped secure a 3-2 away win over Sunshine Coast Wave.
Sunshine Coast’s Kayla Moore opened the scoring in the first-half until Brotherston’s two goals either side of the break turned the match on its head.
Keira Burgess again equalised for the home side but parity only lasted a minute as Victoria Brebner immediately hit back to rectore Peninsula’s match-winning advantage.
Sunshine Coast Wave 2 (Kayla MOORE, Keira BURGESS)
Peninsula Futsal Club 3 (Taylah BROTHERSTON 2, Victoria BREBNER)