Under 12 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (5) v SWQ Thunder FC (1)
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Under 13 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (3) v SWQ Thunder FC (2)
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Under 13 Girls – Sunshine Coast FC (2) v The Gap FC (1)
Round 3 of the 2016 season saw Sunshine Coast FC against The Gap at home. Conditions were poor with short buster of shower which made it difficult for the girls to perform due to the slippy and humid conditions.
Sunshine Coast FC scored around the 19 minutes with a passing combination between Mikayla Wrigley and Courtney Brunner which provided Brunner with a break away run which saw her place the ball low into the right hand side of the net.
Fire’s second goal of the game came through a passing sequence between Audrey Upston and Brunner who then turned and had a long range effort just outside the 6 yard box to find the back of the net.
The second half saw The Gap get awarded a late penalty though a handball in the box from Sommer Jordan who received a yellow card shortly after for the offence.
The final whistle was blown and the final score was 2-1 to Fire.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Mikayla Wrigley
Under 14 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (6) v SWQ Thunder FC (1)
In what was expected to be another stern test for the boys, Fire hosted SWQ Thunder on yet another hot steamy day. The game started evenly and in the 12th minute, Thunder had the ball in the back of the net, only to be called off-side. In the 20th minute Harry Arnison, played a great long ball form halfway to an attacking Brodie Boyce who neatly finished, scoring the opener of the game.
Alistair McMillian made a great run into the box in the 23rd minute, only to be felled by a Thunder defender. Arnison made no mistake from the resulting penalty to bring Fire’s lead up to 2-0. Only three minutes later, and with McMillian once again causing headaches for the defence, once again being fouled in the box. Arnison once again stepped up to calmly slot home.
A few minutes later and with fire totally dominating proceedings, a beautiful Jack Beardsley through ball found McMillian at speed. McMillan shot but found the keeper. Right on half time, Beardsley and Arnison moved the ball to McMillan who in turn found a well-positioned Luke Varga, backing up. Varga easily beat the keeper, going into half-time with Fire up 4-0.
One minute into the second half, Luke Poulton did well to win possession and find the hard working Ezekiel Hawkins, who moved the ball on to Beardsley who shot with interest, but the Thunder keeper made the save. On 38 minutes, some nice short and sharp passing between McMillan, Callum Pearce, Arnison and Beardsley resulted in the Thunder keeper making a much needed save.
With the Fire boys now creating many goal scoring chances, a great long ball from Hawkins allowed Pearce the opportunity to shoot for goal, but the shot was pushed wide. Thunder looked dangerous in the 50th minute until a great defensive effort from Trent Watkins shut down the move. One minute later Thunder’s Luke Lister had what was probably their best opportunity to score but the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Fire finally got their reward when on 48 minutes, a nice Jackson Haynes and Ezekiel Hawkins combination to McMillian allowed for a well worked goal, bringing the score to 5-0. Two minutes later, Thunder looked likely to score. From a corner, Keeper Josh Croft was beaten, and in the ensuing play a mighty effort from Rory Stenhouse allowed him to twice make saves off the line as the last line of defence. Another opportunity for Thunder’s Luke Lister was diffused after some great defensive work from Beardsley.
With 53 minutes up on the clock and after yet another attacking foray at the Thunder goal, Trent Watkins laid a well-timed pass off to a waiting Varga who smashed the ball home for a 6-0 lead.
On 50 minutes, McMillian won possession and his well-timed pass saw Varga beaten to the ball by the keeper. In the 57th min Arnison made a scathing run, taking the ball on the half way line he beat defenders with ease, hoping his final pass across the face of the goal would find a teammate. Varga was almost through again when he was beaten to the ball by the keeper again after a Stenhouse free kick found the nippy Brock Ross who did a mighty job in almost putting Varga away.
Thunder scored a consolation goal in the 62nd minute when they worked their way into the box and the Thunder No. 5 beat a couple of defenders and then the keeper. Thunder looked likely again on 75 minutes but the staunch defence of Stenhouse once again shut down the play.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Trent Watkins – great work all round, defensively strong, high work rate.
Under 15 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (6) v SWQ Thunder FC (0)
A pre-game illness to Jordan Meredith and Lachlan Tolpitt being away left Sunshine Coast FC with just the 10 men against South West Queensland Thunder on a hot and humid afternoon at Kawana Western Fields.
The first goal of the game came on 6 minutes as Fire found Tom Whittaker over the top. His pace saw him get in behind the Toowoomba defence before finding Kaelan Debbage with a good cross that was well finished.
Harry Fletcher almost made it two, after a flighted corner found the central defenders head, but his effort went just over the bar.
Keegan New, playing centrally, was once again strong in the tackle and was also showing his passing range with some tremendous diagonal balls in behind the Toowoomba defence, which was causing them problems.
On 17 minutes, Fire took a 2-0 lead as this time Debbage found Whittaker who scored with another well-placed shot.
It stayed 2-0 until half time as Toowoomba tried to get themselves back into the game, but the midfield trio of Sean Bentley, Nathan Thompson and Beau Boucher worked tirelessly to help out the Fire back four, who all had the better of their opponents.
The second half started perfectly for Fire as firstly some good combination play between Debbage and Whittaker ended with a Sean Bentley effort that was well saved, before Whittaker’s pace once again got him behind the Toowoomba defence and the SWQ defender bought down the Fire striker who duly put away the resulting penalty to give Fire a 3-0 lead.
Budd Baublys got himself on the scoresheet with a near post header from a corner to make it 4-0 and a few minutes later it was 5-0 after a great team goal was finished by Sean Bentley with a fine run from midfield.
By this stage, Fire had complete control of the match. The work rate of all ten players was superb, as they battled for a clean sheet.
The forward two, chased and harried their opponents all day as Toowoomba, despite having the extra man really struggled to play their way out from the back, and more rewards came from that work rate on 79 minutes as Kaelan Debbage won the ball from the SWQ defender before finding Tom Whittaker who rifled a low shot into the bottom corner for his hat trick and the team’s sixth goal.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Kaelan Debbage
Under 15 Girls – Sunshine Coast FC (0) v The Gap FC (5)
It was the first home game for the girls’ 2016 season, seeing Fire taking the field with nine players due to some illness in the team.
Gap started well with possession in the first seven minutes leading to their first by Taylah Roncato making a run on the right-side then made a cutback, shooting in the left side corner.
There were some great saves coming from Madison Lachman in first half with The Gap having plenty of opportunities at goal.
A promising run by Jackie Doyle was soon shut down by The Gap’s defence, leading to Gap’s Tomika Weygood scoring her first goal of the game in 17th minute from a long shot just going over the line before the Fire keeper could get to it.
The Gap continued to take charge of possession despite Fire’s impressive efforts, but Roncato was able to break through Fire’s back line in the 31st minute and slot the ball home to bring the score up to 3-0 to The Gap.
The Gap immediately built on their momentum in the form of Weygood scoring her second goal in the 32nd minute to give The Gap a 4-0 lead.
Fire came into the second half with a renewed drive, able to create chances and put The Gap’s defensive line to work.
Fire’s attacking midfielders, Jessica Doyle and Teyl Danger, showed a great combination play down the right side but were shut down by The Gap’s defence once again.
The Gap gave away some free kicks which allowed Fire to get some control over the game.
This was short lived though as The Gap’s attackers created an opportunity for Rebecca Snell to score The Gap’s final goal in the 56th minute to finalise the score at 5-0 to The Gap.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Teyl Danger
Under 16 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (1) v SWQ Thunder FC (3)
Sunshine Coast FC went into the game on top spot while South West Queensland Thunder was at the bottom end of the ladder.
In the 5th minute, Taj Suffolk put a through ball to Terone Wattegedara down the centre of the field and Wattegedara had a shot which went out for a corner.
Thunder opened up the scoring in the 11th minute from a corner that was crossed into the box. Nathan Foster fumbled at the ball which fell to Thunder’s Howard Jordan to tap it into the back of the net.
Fire played it forward through the middle of the field and Aaron Robertson had a shot in the 13th minute from in front only to go over the bar.
Thunder was playing with more intensity, pressuring Fire which created more chances at goal for Thunder. Thunder scored with a through ball in the centre of the field in behind the Fire backline as Mannyx Smith shot past Foster into the back of the net, bringing Thunder’s lead up to 2-0 in the 17th minute.
Fire netted their first goal of the game some time later in the 34th minute from a penalty taken by Wattegedara who struck the ball down low to the right of the keeper. Fire continued to produce more chances going forward but were caught off-side numerous times which served only to frustrate the team.
Thunder’s next goal started from a throw in to an unmarked Joseph Scott who dribbled into the box, had a shot and scored the final goal for the game in the 60th minute.
Amir Louati was given a red for a harsh tackle which left Fire in a harder position to come back into the game.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Aiden Castillo
Under 18 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (6) v Western Pride FC (4)
It was another late kick off on a hot Sunday afternoon that saw these teams match up for the second time in three weeks. Western Pride ran out winners 6-3 in the first encounter and Fire were keen to reverse that result in today’s game.
Fire had the better of the early encounters moving the ball quickly and looking dangerous in attack, without creating any clear chances. Western Pride were also looking to get forward at every opportunity.
It was Fire who scored first in the 14th minute when a left footed shot from Ollie Blackmore was deflected by a Western Pride defender but not cleared and through a crowded penalty box James Beckman volleyed a low shot into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Fire were building momentum and should have scored again in the 24th minute when, from a throw-in inside their own half on the right, a passing movement of at least ten quick passes saw a shot pass just outside the left post.
Fire were rewarded in the 30th minute when Terone Wattegedara chased a ball into the box as the advancing Pride keeper, Justin Weier misjudged the bounce of the ball. It bounced away from Weier and he collided with both his own defender and Wattegedara in his attempt to retrieve it. The ball fell to Abe Reeves who had a tap in from close range to make it 2-0.
Fire were well on top and were looking for a third. From a corner Beckman launched another goal- bound volley only to see it saved in the 37th minute. Blackmore’s long range effort was tipped over the bar in the 40th minute. Fire thought they had found the third in the 42nd minute when Blackmore intercepted a ball in the midfield and spread the ball wide to Reeves who used his pace well to get in behind the defence and crossed to Wattegedara who skilfully put the ball in the net at the near post, only to see it disallowed for offside.
Liam Burns in central defence for Fire, in a continuation of his solid performance from last week, had led the Fire defenders to deny Pride any scoring opportunities for most of the half.
However, against the run of play Western Pride swept up field and with a number of short passes to get behind the Fire defence inside the box, Daniel Hall slotted home for Pride from close range to make it 2-1 in the 43rd minute.
Fire responded in the 45th minute when Taj Suffolk played a ball forward to Reeves who outpaced the pride defender and chipped the advancing Pride keeper to make it 3-1 to the Fire at the break.
Fire started the second half strongly and in an attacking raid down the left in the 49th minute Blackmore received a return ball from Reeves to put him in behind the Pride defence. His left footed cross from the backline reached Fuller at the far post where he found the net to make it 4-1 to Fire.
Fire were now well in control and Western Pride looked unlikely to offer much to threaten Fire’s lead. Western Pride continued to use the diagonal ball to get in behind the Fire defence looking to set up their quick front runners to create scoring opportunities, but Fire dealt with them until the 63rd minute when Western Pride was finally able to convert an incisive diagonal ball in behind into their second goal when Jack Sharples met the cross from the right at the near post to score.
Western Pride were sparked into action and two minutes later found their third when Jonathan Ward turned a Fire defender and his low shot found the net inside the left post.
At 4-3 Fire were looking less confident and now found themselves under pressure from repeat corners for Pride. Josh Wall was required to make a crucial 1v1 save in the 73rd minute when a Pride attacker was through on goal.
For consecutive weeks Fire saw a comfortable lead evaporate when Mambo Kashindi score Pride’s fourth in the 74th minute to make it 4-4.
To their credit Fire dug deep and fought their way back into the game with attacking raids deep into Western Pride territory. Cameron Nairn combined well with Fuller in the middle and Matt Alberts on the left and Lofthouse and Stevenson were getting forward on the right. Fuller thought he had scored the winner in the 80th minute when he was through on goal but his shot was deflected by Weier for a corner. Fuller took the corner and directed a high ball to Blackmore sitting outside the penalty box. Blackmore took a touch and volleyed the ball on the up as it bounced, only to see his shot smash off the apex of the top right corner of the goal and back into play.
The tireless Burns again led Fire’s determined defensive effort to keep Pride from getting their fifth and possibly the winner.
In a late charge Lofthouse put Stevenson through on the right and from Stevenson’s cross the ball found its way to Nairn on the left. The tension on the Fire bench was eased when Nairn positioned himself to shoot at the top of the Pride box in the 88th minute and his clean left footed strike through defenders finally beat Weier in the Pride goal to put Fire up 5-4.
For the match sealer Fuller and Nairn again combined well through the middle in the 90th minute for Fuller to get his second for the match to make it 6-4 to Fire.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Liam Burns
