Western Pride moved to the top of the ladder after Olympic failed to break down a dogged Moreton Bay United team on Sunday night at Goodwin Park.
Elsewhere, wins for Strikers, City and Cairns kept them in the hunt whilst Lions consolidated their spot in the four with a dominant win in the north.
SWQ Thunder 1 (Cooper 6’)
Brisbane Strikers 2 (McLean 80’, Henslee 88’)
Clive Berghofer Stadium
Strikers leave it late in Toowoomba
Brisbane Strikers needed two late goals to rescue three points and reignite their season in Toowoomba on Saturday evening.
The Thunder took the lead in just the sixth minute through Travis Cooper and looked like they were going to hold on until just ten minutes before the end when Jake McLean equalised for the Strikers before Greig Henslee earned the reigning premiers all three points.
That win ends a run of three successive defeats for the Strikers and ends the Thunder’s recent resurgence of three straight wins.
North Queensland United 0
Lions FC 6 (Macuace 34’ 36’, Thompson 65’, Madle 79’, Shephard 89’, Simic 90’)
Brolga Park
Lions ease to Townsville win
Lions continued their fine run to consolidate their position in the top four with a 6-0 thumping of North Queensland in Townsville.
Jheison Macuace scored two first half goals – his second and third goals of the season – to put the visitors firmly in control at the half time break.
Andrew Thompson scored his second goal of the season after the hour mark before Marek Madle, Nathan Shepherd and Matia Simic completed the scoring in the final ten minutes.
North Queensland have now lost their last three matches whilst Lions picked up their biggest win since round seven to go three games unbeaten.
Redlands United 2 (Warrilow 21’, Sherwood 61’)
Cairns FC 6 (O’Hare 18’ 40’, Taylor 22’ 54’ 80’, Corica 87’)
Cleveland Showgrounds
Cairns in control against Redlands
Redlands United were brought crashing back down to earth at the Cleveland Showgrounds with a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Cairns – who have now won their last three matches.
Chris O’Hare gave the visitors an early lead before Alex Warrilow hit right back for the hosts with his eighth goal of the season – but Cairns re-took the lead almost instantly through Josh Taylor.
Taylor – who now has 15 goals in 16 games – completed his hat-trick in the second half either side of Jake Sherwood’s first goal of the season with Harrison Corica adding his first goal of the season to complete the win for Cairns.
Western Pride 5 (Hawash 15’, E Kennell o.g. 40’, Endean 53’, Pengelly 64’, Parsons 77’)
Magpies Crusaders 0
Briggs Road Sporting Complex
Pride streak to the top of the ladder
Western Pride earned their second win in a row with a 5-0 victory over a 10-man Magpies Crusaders side who had Makhaya Quakawoot sent off for a second yellow card in the second half at Briggs Road on Saturday evening.
Gabriel Hawash scored his first of the season in the 15th minute before Ezra Kennell deflected an Adam Endean shot into his own net before the break.
Endean got his goal just after the break before the Magpies Crusaders’ challenge ended with the sending off of Quakawoot.
Andrew Pengelly and Alex Parsons both added goals before the end to help the Pride move back into top spot on the ladder.
Brisbane City 5 (Sibatuara 39’ 81’, Bolton 73’, Fiechtner 76’ 79’)
Gold Coast United 1 (Prasad 10’)
Corporate Travel Management Stadium
City take the honours against Gold Coast
Brisbane City came from a goal down to record a 5-1 victory over Gold Coast United in the first meeting between the two sides at Corporate Travel Management Stadium on Saturday night.
Gold Coast scored the opening goal in the 10th minute to open the scoring, but Sam Sibatuara levelled for City before the break with his 11th goal of the season.
The hosts then scored four goals in eight second half minutes through Bolton, two goals to Alex Fiechtner – one a penalty – and a second to Sibatuara to break the deadlock and end a run of two successive league defeats.
Olympic FC 0
Moreton Bay United 0
Goodwin Park
Honours even at Goodwin Park
Moreton Bay United and Olympic were forced to settle for a goalless draw in their top-four clash at Goodwin Park on Sunday evening.
Neither side got going in front of the Football Queensland live steam cameras in a dour first half, before Olympic took the initiative in the second period, forcing Bez Ariayee Ravesh into a number of fine saves to preserve his clean sheet.
Brisbane Roar Youth 1 (Bafford 1’)
Sunshine Coast 1 (Debage 77’)
Logan Metro Sports Complex
Points shared shared at Logan Metro
Brisbane Roar Youth and Sunshine Coast will both have to wait a little longer to end their winless run after they shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Logan Metro Sports Centre on Sunday night.
Bryce Bafford got the Roar Youth off to the best possible start with a goal in the opening minute but Sunshine Coast rallied in the second half and drew level thanks to Kaelan Debbage in the 77th minute.
Sunshine Coast picked up just their fifth point of the season and first since the end of April as the Roar’s recent woes continue.
Words: Simon Smale
Image: Chris Simpson