After a tormenting period of match postponements due to the weather, the magic of the cup was finally back last week as 58 teams from the South East Queensland (SEQ) qualification region, Far North Queensland and Mackay took to the field and fought to remain in the national competition.
Four teams from the Mackay qualification region kicked off FFA Cup proceedings mid-week as Mackay Rangers FC and Magpies FC played host to Mackay Lions and City Brothers FC respectively for a spot in the next round.
The remaining teams had to wait until Friday or Saturday for their chance to earn their side a place in Round 3 of Australia’s largest knockout football tournament.
Among a number of upsets and self-assured performances was a consistent display of high-quality football that presented itself throughout the cup matches played across the state.
With so many matches worth talking about, here are just a few of the entertaining clashes that took place in the most recent round of the FFA Cup here in Queensland.
REGIONAL QUALIFICATION ZONE
Mackay
Mid-week action kicked off Round 3 of this year’s FFA Cup competition in Mackay, and it was Mackay Lions FC, Mackay Wanderers FC and Magpies FC that landed on the right side of the results – each earning themselves a spot in the next preliminary round.
The aforementioned winners join NPL Men’s Queensland side Magpies Crusaders United in Round 4 of the FFA Cup where the four remaining Mackay-based sides will compete against one another until one club remains and progresses to the inter-zone stage of the competition.
Far North Queensland
In Far North Queensland, one Round 2 match took place over the weekend with Douglas United claiming a convincing 4-0 win over Atherton Eagles. The victory earns them a match-up with Innisfail FC in Round 3.
SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND QUALIFICATION ZONE
There was no shortage of FFA Cup action in South East Queensland over the weekend, with 26 rescheduled FFA Cup games taking place across Friday and Saturday.
Despite the mostly dry weather, it was raining goals throughout much of the region with many scoresheets left more dense than the wet fields the week prior.
Musgrave SC were the biggest winners, with a rampant display on Bribie Island earning them a 12-0 victory over Bribie FC while in Nambour the ball found the back of the net 11 times in Nambour Yandina United FC’s 6-5 triumph against Brisbane Knights.
If you tuned into the Football Brisbane Facebook page live stream you may have witnessed Vilic Law Capital League 1 side Mt Gravatt Hawks suffer a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Vilic Law Capital League 2 side Pine Hills – in what was one of the more surprising results of the round.
After an impressive 2019 campaign, Vilic Law Capital League 2 side Logan Metro FC continued their FFA Cup form with a 3-2 win against Vilic Law Capital League 1 side Brisbane Athletic FC.
In the clash of the coasts, Tallebudgera Valley FC’s 257km journey home to the Gold Coast would have felt even longer after losing 6-0 to Sunshine Coast’s Gympie United – it wasn’t any easier for South-West teams travelling to Brisbane with Rockville Rovers and USQ FC succumbing to Virginia United and Oxley United respectively.
Coomera SC weren’t interested in following the trend as they battled into extra-time to find a winning goal against a reluctant Noosa Lions FC. With the scores locked at 2-2 following the 90 minutes, Coomera dug deep and found a third to put the game to bed and advance to Round 3.
Ripley Valley FC were unable make their mark in their second ever year in the competition as the Brisbane side lost 3-1 to Gold Coast powerhouse Surfers Paradise Apollo SC at Briggs Road Sporting Complex.
Palm Beach SC meanwhile put four goals past Westside Grovely FC to book their spot in Round 3 of the FFA Cup.
In addition to distant travels and high score-lines, a number of league rivals went head-to-head in Round 2 of the FFA Cup – reigning Brisbane Premier League (BPL) Champions Albany Creek were defeated 1-0 by league competitors Bayside United, while Grange Thistle laid a marker down with a 1-0 win against Centenary Stormers.
Among other rivalries was the battle of local rivals Gatton Redbacks and Willowburn FC. In the highly anticipated match-up at Gatton Dixon Oval it was Willowburn FC who came out on top with a 3-0 win to book their place in the next round.
See the full list of Queensland FFA Cup results here.
View Football Brisbane match highlights here.
View Football Gold Coast match highlights here.
Words: Darren Newell
