Two top four teams in terrific form put their promotion prospects to the test in a crunch Football Queensland Premier League (FQPL) clash this weekend, while the rescheduled Round 9 also delivers an intriguing fixture between a pair of Finals Series hopefuls.
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Feature Match:
Logan Lightning v Wolves FC
Get set for a cracker at Cornubia Park because these two teams are running hot.
League leaders Logan Lightning and fourth-placed Wolves FC have both won five successive matches and appear set to put on a show for spectators on Saturday night.
Their last meeting resulted in a seven-goal thriller as Logan prevailed 4-3 away from home, with talismanic striker Adam Edgar on target twice.
Last weekend’s crucial 3-2 triumph over title rivals SWQ Thunder kept the club in pole position to claim the FQPL’s sole promotion spot but there’s no time to sit back and relax now.
Wolves, who are battling hard for a Finals Series spot, are fresh from putting four goals past Western Pride and haven’t scored fewer than two in any of their past five games.
Max Mikkola and Carlton Westerdale are two attackers taking a lot of the credit for that scoring streak and the pair are sure to have a big part to play on Saturday night.
Match Details
Saturday, 10 October, 6:15pm
Cornubia Park
Live Stream Link
Other Key Matches:
Rochedale Rovers v Ipswich Knights
This match could well make or break the Finals Series ambitions of both Rochedale Rovers and Ipswich Knights.
Rovers will know they must regain momentum after a loss, a draw and a bye in recent weeks and there’s no better time to get moving than now.
They sit fifth on the ladder, three points behind Wolves, but still have the time and quality to make inroads into the top four.
Knights will believe they can do the same after securing a 2-0 win over Holland Park Haws last time out, a result that consigned a winless September to the past.
Andy Ogden’s men sit a point behind this weekend’s opponents, although they have played a game extra.
An away victory on Friday night would shake up the ladder and breathe new life into their bid to leapfrog several sides above.
Match Details
Friday, 9 October, 7:15pm
Underwood Park
Live Stream Link
Sunshine Coast FC v SWQ Thunder
How will SWQ Thunder respond after their narrow loss in Logan last time out?
Enjoying a good run until that match, the onus is now on the Toowoomba team to bounce back as they make the trip north.
Sunshine Coast FC will hope to catch their opponents at a low ebb, with the power in their hands to do the FQPL’s other top teams a big favour.
Fire’s first priority must surely be to make life difficult for the competition’s leading scorers by restricting their opportunities going forward.
Gareth Thomson’s side should take confidence from their last clash with SWQ, when the underdogs looked a good chance to take a point from an eventual 3-2 defeat on the road.
Match Details
Sunday, 11 October, 4:00pm
Kawana Western Precinct
Live Stream Link
Other Round 9 Matches:
Western Pride v Southside Eagles
Saturday, 10 October, 7:00pm
Briggs Road Sporting Complex
Live Stream Link
Holland Park Hawks v Mitchelton FC
Saturday, 10 October, 8:00pm
Whites Hill Reserve
Live Stream Link
Key Players:
Max Mikkola (Wolves FC): Named in the last FQPL Team of the Week, Mikkola is a talented winger with domestic and overseas experience who could hold the key to Wolves’ hopes of unlocking Logan.
Luka Pullen (Sunshine Coast FC): Fire appear to have a real talent on their hands in young striker Pullen, who grabbed a last-gasp winner against Southside Eagles last weekend. He’ll be one to watch for the remainder of the season and beyond.
Jackson Rossi (Rochedale Rovers): Selected among the FQPL Players of the Month for September, Rossi is a player on the rise at Rochedale and an important figure going into his side’s game against Knights.
Image: David Wilson Photography
