Ipswich Knights, Rochedale Rovers and Mitchelton FC will be hoping for wins in Round 20 of the Football Queensland Premier League (FQPL) this weekend, as all three aim to put pace-setters Logan Lightning and SWQ Thunder under pressure in the race for promotion to the NPL Queensland.
All five Round 20 matches this weekend will be available to watch live and on demand at NPL.TV, free for Australian residents.
Key Matches:
Ipswich Knights v Rochedale Rovers
Despite having already played both league leaders Lightning Logan and second-placed SWQ Thunder, Ipswich Knights currently sit in third place on the FQPL ladder and are hoping to make a surprise promotion push.
The club’s most recent game saw them get the job done against Holland Park Hawks with an impressive 3-1 win away from home, as winger Mitch Herrmann and defender Aaron Midkiff both earned Team of the Week selections.
Their opponents Rochedale Rovers find themselves in need of a win after suffering a disappointing 2-0 home loss to Mitchelton last time out.
They’ll be hoping new signing Kado Aoci can score his first goal since returning to the club from Redlands United and with his record at this level the Ipswich defence will have to be prepared for a difficult match-up.
Match Details
Sunday, 9 August, 3pm
Eric Evans Oval
Live Stream Link
Mitchelton FC v Holland Park Hawks
Despite an impressive effort last weekend which saw Mitchelton FC come back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Souths United, the Mustangs would have been disappointed to have dropped points at home.
The club have at times looked like one of the best sides in the league but must ensure they pick up wins against sides further down the table if they want to stay in the hunt for promotion.
They face a difficult opponent this weekend in the form of Holland Park Hawks and will be hoping exciting new signing Emmanuel Peter will be the difference-maker once again, after he scored a brace off the bench against Souths last time out.
Holland Park have provided flashes of real quality this season but have so far been unable to string together a consistent run of form.
They were beaten 3-1 last time out by a strong Ipswich Knights side and will be hoping to pull off an upset win which would see them overtake Mitchelton on the table.
Match Details
Saturday, 8 August, 6pm
Teralba Park
Live Stream Link
Wolves FC v Logan Lightning
Wolves FC picked up their first win of the season in impressive fashion last weekend, beating Western Pride 4-0 at Carmichael Park.
The side will need to continue in that vein of form if they are to get a result against league leaders Logan Lightning in Round 20, as 18-year-old midfielder Jacob Krayem looks to build upon a breakout performance against Pride in which he scored a brace.
Logan Lightning meanwhile are aiming to return to winning ways after dropping points for the first time this season last weekend.
They were held to a 2-2 draw by SWQ Thunder in Toowoomba in a back and forth game, with goalkeeper Sebastian Usai earning a Team of the Week selection on his Logan debut after joining the club from Spanish side CD Robres.
Match Details
Friday, 7 August, 7pm
Carmichael Park
Live Stream Link
Other Round 20 Matches:
SWQ Thunder v Sunshine Coast FC
Saturday, 8 August, 6pm
Clive Berghofer Stadium
Southside Eagles v Western Pride
Saturday, 8 August, 7pm
Memorial Park
Key Players:
Kado Aoci (Rochedale Rovers): Having recently returned to Rochedale from Redlands United, veteran striker Aoci will be hoping to score his first goal back in the FQPL against Ipswich Knights this weekend and can make the difference for his new side with his known goalscoring ability.
Emmanuel Peter (Mitchelton FC): The former Ipswich Knights star introduced himself to the Mustangs faithful last week with a sensational brace against Souths and will be a tricky player to stop for Holland Park Hawks this weekend.
Daniel Bailey (Sunshine Coast FC): In fine form so far this season and landing himself in the Round 5 Team of the Week, Bailey has scored four goals in as many matches and will need to come out firing to help his side to a win against SWQ Thunder.
Words: Jacob Wala
Image: Annette Andrews/SWQ Thunder