Interstate Premiers Challenge
Sunshine Coast Fire v Weston Workers Bears
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Perry Park, Albion
The spoils have been shared in the inaugural Interstate Premiers Challenge, with the Sunshine Coast Fire and Weston Workers Bears fighting out a 1-1 draw.
Shaun Blackman’s early goal was cancelled out in the second half by a Carl Thornton penalty, as both sides brought their 2010 campaigns to a close.
The match pitted the Fire in an interstate battle with the Weston Workers Bears, Premiers of the NBN Football League, Northern NSW’s top tier of football.
With a season’s hard graft behind them, the Fire were severely depleted and only nine senior squad members were available for the match, with youth players making up the numbers. Despite this, the Sunshine Coast almost went ahead in the opening seconds.
A string of passes finished with Aaron Brazendale on the right wing, who struck an accurate cross toward Shaun Blackman that the skipper nodded just over the bar.
Spurred on by the early opportunity, the Fire kept pressing and were rewarded after six minutes, when Blackman put the Sunshine Coast ahead. Jai Cross held the ball well before splitting the Bears defence with a well-weighted ball to released Blackman one-on-one. Blackman steadied himself before beating Weston keeper Tim Pratt with a drive into the top corner.
Weston were shocked into action by the early deficit, and created a host of chances in the following minutes. A lobbed through-ball fell to Michael Ryan, who shot straight at Antony Hall in the Fire’s goal from close range. Moments after, Ryan was again involved when he inched a shot wide of the far post from a one-on-one opportunity.
With both sides settling into a rhythm, possession was evenly distributed but the Fire looked more potent in their attacking third. On 22 minutes, Cross won possession and sped into the penalty area before copping a nudge and going to ground, but calls for a penalty fell on deaf ears.
Soon after, Blackman almost had a brace when a slick move from Tyson Holmes put the skipper through on goal, but Pratt was untroubled by Blackman’s volley.
Rhys Tippett and Michael Ryan both had decent opportunities to square the ledger for Weston, but the Sunshine Coast defence held firm as half time approached. For the Fire, a clever move down the left from James Stinson almost yielded a scoring opportunity, but strong defence helped clear the lines for the Bears.
Half time came with the Fire a goal to the good in an end-to-end contest, but far from comfortable with 45 minutes to go.
The second stanza kicked off with drizzle beginning to fall at Perry Park, and before the sides had settled in the Fire conceded a penalty. Greig Henslee, excellent in the first half, was adjudged to have brought down the last defender in the box, and the referee pointed to the spot before brandishing a yellow card.
Carl Thornton stepped up for the visitors and converted with minimal fuss, sending Hall the wrong way as he squeezed the ball inside the left upright for a 1-1 scoreline.
Afte working their way back into the contest, Weston had the better of the following minutes, with Rhys Tippett and Joel Page both going close to putting the visitors ahead.
A dangerous free-kick from Tyson Holmes went inches over the bar on 60 minutes, as both sides began to show sides of a long season’s fatigue.
Although the Bears were spending plenty of time in their attacking half, Hall was not made to work a great deal in the Fire’s goal. A desperate scramble inside the six yard box seemed destined to find the net for Weston, but the referee spotted a foul before the ball could be put away.
As full time approached, the Sunshine Coast looked to have snatched a winner after strong work on the right wing from Sam Knight. Knight struck a good cross that was headed down to Ryan Delahunty, who volleyed home from inside the penalty area – but the whistle had sounded for a foul that baffled Sunshine Coast fans.
Delahunty was involved again in injury time, racing along the byline as Pratt came out to smother the ball. Holmes desperately lunged at the loose ball, but lifted it over the bar.
But in the end, both sides would have to settle for a 1-1 draw to bring their respective seasons to a close. The Sunshine Coast Fire and Weston Workers Bears were declared joint winners of the inaugural Premiers Challenge, in what is expected to become a regular fixture in seasons to come.
Coach Aston Bell was pleased with the manner in which his undermanned side backed up after last weekend’s Grand Final triumph.
“We put on a really good show. I’m really proud of my players, its been a fantastic season, but it was a bit of an anticlimax considering the euphoria of last week. It was always going to be hard to get the boys up, but they dug in and had a go.”
With only nine senior team squad members available for the match, several youth players were given the opportunity to play, including Rhys Roberts, Nick Roth and Joe McMahon, as well as Josh Taylor and Ryan Delahunty.
Bell praised the Premiers Challenge concept, and said he hoped to see it continued in future.
“It’s a great opportunity to play sides we wouldn’t normally get a chance to come up against, so in that regard I’m delighted that Football Queensland and Northern NSW Football have come up with the idea.”
Final Score: Sunshine Coast Fire – 1 (Blackman, 6)
Weston Workers Bears – 1 (Thornton, 47 pen)
