Round 15 of the National Premier Leagues (NPL) Queensland Men’s saw the top four extend their reach at the summit.
Table-topping Olympic FC secured their three points at the death as they caged Eastern Suburbs, while Lions FC shimmied past Redlands United. Gold Coast Knights notched their first derby win, while Peninsula Power extended their unbeaten run as they turn their attention towards the top.
An undisputed stake at the top is up for grabs as point pockets start to appear in the table, with a prospective three points in Round 16 holding sides in good stead for a finals assault.
Fans can watch all First Grade NPL Men’s matches live and on demand on NPL.TV, free for Australian residents.
Feature Match: Capalaba FC v Redlands United
Two old enemies had been segregated by an 8-year hiatus before they rekindled their rivalry in Round 3 of the NPL Queensland Men’s. A resounding 3-0 victory to Capalaba FC means pride is on the line for Redlands United, with a mid-season resurgence promising a far feistier encounter in this year’s second edition of the Redlands Derby.
Redlands will make the return leg out to The Kennel, where they will be welcomed by a Capalaba outfit that has struggled for consistency in a recent batch of prosaic form.
The newly-promoted side demonstrated all the undaunted gusto of an established NPL club as they slotted comfortably into the weekly rigours of the NPL Queensland. This unabashed approach faltered after competition restart however, with the Bulldogs collecting an uninspiring 13 points from their subsequent 13 games.
The pendulum swings in either direction when Capalaba are involved, with six clashes being separated by just a sole goal. Round 14’s clash with Eastern Suburbs was an exception to this rule however, with the Tigers clawing ten from their competitors in the highest scoring game of 2020, leaving Capalaba’s defence ostensibly vulnerable.
Salvaging three points from last Sunday’s clash with the Brisbane Roar Youth, courtesy of their scintillating striker Stuart Edgar, Capalaba will be hoping to realign their winning ways to start suffocating the gap.
2020’s Redlands United look a far cry from the side that previously frolicked to an FFA Cup Round of 16 berth. Having seemingly locked in their fourth consecutive season without a finals appearance since 2016’s triumphs, Redlands will be looking to salvage some pride from their season as they face up against the old foe.
Summer’s swathe of signings promised a different flavour to this year’s campaign. Hoping to make amends for a tenuous three seasons, Redlands were put to the sword by the competition’s classier competitors as they stumbled in their opening four rounds.
Collecting half of their seasonal win tally before the competition’s suspension, Redlands have tasted success just twice since resumption round, with wins over Brisbane City and Gold Coast United taking them within a point of 10th place.
Acquiring the league’s weakest defensive record courtesy of 4-0 losses to Lions FC and Olympic FC in recent weeks, Redlands will need to fight with fervour should they secure bragging rights in Saturday’s skirmish against Capalaba.
MATCH DETAILS
Saturday, 26 September, 5:00pm
John Fredericks Park
Live Stream Link
Feature Match: Olympic FC v Gold Coast Knights
Round 16’s second feature match is poised as this week’s most captivating engagement, as the omnipotent Olympic FC welcome the gallant Gold Coast Knights to Goodwin Park.
Salvaging eight points from their opening six matches, the 2019 Grand Finalists and hosts this weekend entered into the competitive fray unconvincingly.
An emphatic 4-0 win over Capalaba in restart round proved to be the balm they sorely needed for the silverware aspirations, with eight wins from ten shoring them up as the competition’s pace setters.
Going two points clear at the top after extending their unbeaten streak to seven with a win over Eastern Suburbs, Olympic will need to be at their superlative best should they vindicate Round 3’s 3-1 loss to Gold Coast Knights.
With Peninsula Power’s two games in hand foiling Olympic’s every move, extending their reach at an undisputed summit will be the prerogative for Sunday’s clash. Daniel Leck has been the difference maker for the Red and White this season, his 11 strikes comprising a third of their 33-goal tally, while looking equally adept at the back with just 15 goals conceded.
Since hoisting themselves into the top tier of Queensland football after a profitable spell in the Gold Coast Premier League, Gold Coast Knights have been the epitome of consistency. Despite tasting the ignominy of defeat just three times since their NPL Queensland inauguration, the Gold Coast side will have their work cut out for them as they make the trip up the M1 to meet their 2019 Grand Final opponents.
Coming into Round 16’s clash with two games in hand on their adversaries, they’ll be looking to chart a course to the top and can put themselves within one point of the apex with a win over their top four counterparts.
Enjoying an undefeated start to the season, a lockdown round stalemate with Moreton Bay United proved prophetic of the Knights’ fortunes, having failed to materialise with the same might. Marred by draws with Eastern Suburbs, Brisbane City and Brisbane Strikers, their fluctuating form was compounded by a 4-1 humbling by Sunshine Coast Wanderers in Round 26.
Buoyed by bragging rights in a 3-0 win over Gold Coast United in last week’s derby, they’re shaping up for an invigored assault on Goodwin Park. Spearheaded by a cavalry that has lanced home 32 goals from 14 fixtures, the re-signing of Oskar Dillon means an already secure vanguard will be made even more stout in what is set to be a hard-fought encounter between two of the competition’s premier sides.
MATCH DETAILS
Sunday, 27 September, 6:00pm
Goodwin Park
Live Stream Link
Another Key Match:
Lions FC v Brisbane Roar Youth
Lions FC will be licking their lips at the prospect of an uncontested top spot when they welcome the cubs of the Brisbane Roar Youth to Lions Stadium.
Top of the food chain over the first 14 rounds, Lions slumped to second after falling to a 2-1 loss to Moreton Bay United, their third defeat in seven games.
Putting four goals past Redlands as retribution, they’ll be hoping for a profitable pursuit on Sunday as the pride converges on the Young Roar.
A brazen swagger has emanated from the Black and Orange this season, their youthful verve seeing them romp home to their best start to the season since the competition’s inception.
Despite sitting in 5th, Roar’s previously formidable form has been diluted by 3-1 losses to the lower-placed Sunshine Coast FC and Capalaba FC respectively, scuppering a run that was headlined by a 7-1 win over Brisbane City.
Looking to reintegrate themselves into the winners’ circle, they’ll be reliant on the goalscoring pedigree of Cai Tipaldo to exploit the dearth of frailties in Lions’ defence as they set themselves on a finals trajectory.
MATCH DETAILS
Sunday, 27 September, 4:00pm
Lions Stadium
Live Stream Link
Other Round 8 Matches:
Brisbane City v Brisbane Strikers
Saturday, 26 September, 6:30pm
Corporate Travel Management Stadium
Live Stream Link
Sunshine Coast Wanderers v Peninsula Power
Sunday, 27 September, 4:00pm
Ballinger Park
Live Stream Link
Gold Coast United v Eastern Suburbs
Sunday, 27 September, 4:30pm
Coplick Family Sports Park
Live Stream Link
Key Players:
Stuart Edgar (Capalaba FC): Capalaba’s talisman has struck three braces in his past three games, a rich vein of form that he’ll be looking to tap into come the Redlands Derby.
Mitch Nichols (Gold Coast Knights): An authoritative figure in the engine room for the Knights, Nichols’ efforts will be key in keeping the cogs turning against the table-topping Olympic.
Danny Kim (Lions FC): The industrious Kim has looked a class above the competition since returning from his A-League spell, his innate ability to fashion chances from the nucleus set to pose a constant threat for the Young Roar.
Words: Angus Barnes
Image: East End Digital
