A host of thrilling Championship deciders were played out in the NPL and FQPL Under 18s and Under 20s over the weekend.
NPL Under 20 Grand Final
Brisbane City FC 6 (Thomas 7’, Nightingale 70’, Fiechtner 73’, Sartori 80’, Sayers 84’, Dimitroff 88’)
Western Pride FC 1 (Herrmann 85’)
Late flurry of goals hand City Championship glory
Brisbane City have won the NPL Queensland Under 20 Championship, scoring an avalanche of second half goals to run out comprehensive 6-1 winners over Western Pride FC.
City opened the scoring in just the seventh minute, courtesy of Owain Thomas and 20 minutes later, Pride were reduced to 10 men after Benjamin Barratt was shown a straight red card.
City waited until the 70th minute to strike again, but then they did so another four times.
Pride managed to grab a consolation goal in the 85th minute through Mitchell Herrmann but it proved too little too late for the visitors as City cruised to a 6-1 Championship win.
NPL Under 18 Grand Final
Brisbane City FC 2 (Wildermuth 34’, 75’)
Western Pride FC 2 (Bray 4’, 70’)
Pride won 4-2 on penalties
Pride on pens
Western Pride FC have defeated Brisbane City FC in a penalty shootout to clinch the NPL Under 18 Championship.
Jackson Bray registered a brace for the visiting Pride and Ethan Wildermuth did likewise for City, ensuring the game was sent to extra time poised at 2-2.
Neither team could find a winner in the additional 30 minutes, so the lottery of a penalty shootout was needed to determine a winner.
In the end, Pride’s goalkeeper Daniel Cupac was the hero, producing a pair of stunning saves as Western Pride prevailed 4-2 on penalties.
FQPL Under 20 Grand Final
Rochedale Rovers 3 (Rossi 52’, Breagan 62’, Saolele 83’)
Ipswich Knights 0
Rovers roll Knights to take trophy
Rochedale Rovers have claimed the FQPL Under 20 Championship with a 3-0 win over Ipswich Knights.
Knights were reduced to 10 men just before halftime when Leon Nunda was shown a straight red card.
It didn’t take long into the second half for Rochedale to make their extra man advantage count, Jackson Rossi with the breakthrough goal on 52 minutes.
From then on, it was all Rochedale with the Rovers adding a further two goals before full time, lifting the trophy after an assured 3-0 victory.
FQPL Under 18 Grand Final
Sunshine Coast Wanderers 5 (McMillan 25’, Forsyth 35’, Flynn 75’, Holley 110’, 117’)
Peninsula Power 4 (Rowe 21’, Breen 38’, Hing 43’, Evans 102’)
Wanderers win extra time epic
Sunshine Coast Wanderers have clinched the FQPL Under 18 Championship, defeating Peninsula Power 5-4 in one of the most exciting games of football you are likely to see.
Throughout the enthralling encounter, the lead changed hands five times and extra time needed to decide a winner with the score deadlocked at 3-3.
Power hit the front in the 102nd minute thanks to Samuel Evans, however disaster struck 10 minutes later when Ryan Patch received his marching orders, forcing the away side to defend their slender lead down a player.
The weight of numbers proved too much for Power with a late Matthew Holley double sealing victory for the Wanderers, the winner coming in the 117th minute of play.
Words: Samuel Johnson
Images: Chris Simpson
