Under 12 Boys – Gold Coast City (0) v Sunshine Coast FC (9)
It was a confident start by Fire with the pressure put straight on the Gold Coast team and in the 2nd minute, Fire’s Jake Rocker chipped the keeper to open the scoring for Fire.
Nathan Weckert took a shot in the 4th minute that narrowly missed to the left of goal. Coming on 6 minutes, Gold Coast had a shot on goal which went left of the post. Soon after, Fire’s Kane Gibbs took a long shot and hit the crossbar. Fire quickly recovered the ball and had another chance from the corner by Sam Klein which was saved by the Gold Coast keeper.
Fire had their chance to deny Gold Coast a goal in the 13th minute with a save from Ben Nassiep in the 13th minute.
Fire were settled into the game after 15 minutes as Gibbs received a through ball and blew past the Gold Coast keeper. After some back and forth between Fire and Gold Coast, Dimitri Pritchard made a great run and planted the ball into the top left corner of the Gold Coast goal in the 27th minute. Two minutes later, Rocker battled through the Gold Coast defenders to net his second of the day.
Coming back from half time, Fire came out strong again and Flynn Faulkner managed to get past the Gold Coast keeper to score in the 38th minute. Fire continued to dominate the rest of the game with Kyan Bryant scoring in the 45th minute, and again 10 minutes later from a combination play with Klein. With three minutes left, Harrison Whitelaw delivered the ball to Faulkner who put away Fire’s 8th goal. Bryant made it a hat trick from another great ball from Faulkner just before full time to close the score at 9-0 to Fire.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Kyan Bryant
Under 13 Boys – Gold Coast City (3) v Sunshine Coast FC (3)
After gaining all 3 points from last weekend’s game against Thunder, Fire were keen to back up with another strong performance. In difficult windy conditions playing their usual passing football was always going to be difficult on a very uneven pitch.
The first ten minutes saw each team sharing possession and no real opportunities created. Fire slowly began to assert their dominance and several perfectly weighted passes began to stretch the Gold Coast defence. Matt Gaske, Aryon Ramos and Jake Debbage found themselves sliding through holes in the defensive line several times with a great range of passing demonstrated by Emery, Simpson and Lombardo in particular. In the 18th minute Gaske found himself 1v1 with the Gold Coast keeper after a perfectly timed run allowed him to tuck the ball into the corner of the goal.
Fire began to control the game giving Gold Coast little time on the ball as they pressed in numbers across the field. Once again the Fire defensive line comprising Camm, Evans, MacMillan, Swindles and Ellenberger performed well as they spoiled many attacking movements and set a solid foundation for the team. Just before the half Gaske again found space as he sliced between two defenders and drove into the penalty area. With a poorly timed last ditch tackle Gaske was fouled in the box which allowed him to make it 2-0 at the break after a calmly taken spot kick.
Shortly after the break an unfortunate bounce wrong footed Hugh Williams in goal as the shot which he had covered hit one of the many divots in the ground to make it 2-1. Showing their true fighting spirit Fire hit back immediately through Debbage. A long ball out of the defensive line found the flying Debbage on the right wing. He cut behind his defender and drove the ball from the edge of the 18 yard box giving the keeper no chance.
Gold Coast struck back quickly finding the net on 48 & 49 minutes. In an end to end finish both teams could have taken the points. Fire continued to find space down the wings with Swindles, Ellenberger and MacMillan always looking to play forward once they had won the ball. Aaron Smith had several chances which he created around the edge of the box and was unfortunate not to find himself on the score sheet.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Hugh Williams
Under 13 Girls – Olympic FC (0) v Sunshine Coast FC (3)
Round 4 of the 2016 season saw Sunshine Coast against Olympic at Goodwin Park. Conditions were overcast but very humid which was hitting the girls hard from the very start of the game.
Sunshine Coast were off to a blinding start, holding a huge amount of possession and within the 11th minute the girls built the play very well through the midfield, continuously using passing combinations between Tamika Banks, Audrey Upston and Mikayla Wrigley who then crossed the ball into the box finding Courtney Brunner free on the edge of the 6 yard box who placed the ball into the back of the net.
Fire were still the dominant side in the game and they again found the back of the net in the 21st min through a long range effort from Jordyn Weckert who found some free space in the midfield, cut back inside to angle her shot and powerfully sent the ball through the air using her left foot, making the ball chip the keeper and easily finding the net. Sunshine Coast were making the game hard for Olympic to get into the game and out of their own half, the girls were using good pressure to win the ball back when Olympic were in possession and we easily intercepted Olympic’s attempt of any combinational play. The end of the first half saw the Fire girls 2-0 up.
The Fire girls were finding the hot conditions hard to be up against in the second half, however they were able to step up and find the back of the net again in the 36th minute with a from run from Mikayla Wrigley who made a great cross into the box and again found Courtney Brunner unmarked in the box, Courtney was easily able to place the ball into the goal to put the Fire girls 3-0 up. Fire continued to play great football in the remainder of the second half, they missed a few good opportunities but were happy with a 3-0 win.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Jordyn Weckert
Under 14 Boys – Gold Coast City (2) v Sunshine Coast FC (2)
An important game for Fire, both teams on 9 points, with Fire just ahead on goal difference, 3rd vs 4th on the ladder. Games against the Gold Coast have always been quite physical and today proved to be just that and some.
Gold Coast started the game at a faster pace than Fire and dominated field position right from the start.
Fire defence was under pressure for most of the first 15 minutes with very good efforts from all defenders to keep Gold Coast from shooting, particularly Josh Croft in goals, Rory Stenhouse and Trent Watkins who worked together very well stopping attacking runs down the right, and setting up counter attacks.
After the first 15 minutes Fire picked up the tempo, realised they were in for a very physical encounter and started dominating possession and field position.
In the 22nd minute, Callum Pearce followed a through ball up the right wing, had some work to do against two defenders but somehow snapped a low cross in out of reach of the keeper with Brok Ross cleverly positioned just wide of the far post to calmly slot it away.
Fire had another chance in the 26th minute in the form of a perfect cross from Corey Gibbs on the right wing to Harry Arnison in front of the near post just sailed over. Beardsley had a chance on goal in the 30th minute but was unsuccessful, hitting the cross bar. Fire were dominating the first half with 6 clear shots while Gold Coast had yet to take a shot at Fire’s goals.
Gold Coast came close to equalising in the closing minutes of the first half, through some good short passing down the right wing eventually beating the keeper but quick thinking Ezekiel Hawkins cleared the ball off the line saving a certain goal.
Gold Coast appeared to have more urgency in the second half and out-muscled Fire, with a lot of late tackles and pushing that normally would have been pulled up by a ref.
Jackson Haynes received the ball on half way from the Fire left defence, beat one opponent then put a nicely weighted ball behind the Gold Coast defensive line for Jack Beardsley. Beardsley had some work to do at full pace with a defender on his shoulder and the keeper coming out, but held off the defender and calmly put it past the keeper for a great finish in the 43rd minute.
After a short corner from Gold Coast, the ball ended up just inside the right hand side of the box with some scrappy play from both sides, a Gold coast player snapped a shot straight in beside the near post.
The Fire right defence had the ball just wide of the box and were immediately under pressure from Gold Coast, and with a number of options also under pressure, Gold Coast forced the error ending up with the ball inside the box for an easy equaliser.
After an increase in tempo from Fire and some great physical play from all the boys in particular Boyce, Hawkins, Arnison and Ewan Gordon, Arnison ended being brought down in the box. The ref blew the whistle pointing to the spot, but decided against it.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Luke Varga. He adapted very well to the very physical Gold Coast game, and was dominant in attack and defence.
Under 15 Boys – Gold Coast City (3) v Sunshine Coast FC (1)
Sunshine Coast Fire travelled to the Gold Coast for a replay of the ID round from a few weeks ago. The ID round saw Fire produce their best performance of the season, however the trip down the Coast didn’t prove to be as successful.
Both sides started brightly, with the game being played at a hectic pace. Budd Baublys produced a good run and cross early, while Gold Coast had a shot that almost slipped through keeper Eligh Williams’ hands. Beau Boucher almost scored the opener after some nice lead up play between Kaelan Debbage and Tom Whittaker, however the finish went wide.
Fire took the lead in the 22nd minute after a great ball from Jordan Meredith found Debbage who beat his man and finished nicely.
Meredith, who had been in terrific form up to this point then came off injured and the match turned as Gold Coast took control of the midfield. Firstly, a shot from Gold Coast hit the crossbar, then in the 32nd minute Gold Coast equalised with a long range effort that Williams couldn’t keep out.
Half time came with scores at 1-1, but Gold Coast had the better of the latter stages.
Gold Coast started the brighter in the second half and an early chance was well saved by Williams before a corner saw Gold Coast hit the lead after some sloppy marking in the box. Fire tried to work themselves back into the match, but through individual play rather than team play and as a result the match became a little ugly.
Debbage had a shot well-saved on 51 minutes, Whittaker tried an overhead kick on 54 and Keegan New also had a shot well saved on 59 minutes as Fire searched for an equaliser, but they showed little discipline going forward and as a result Gold Coast also had plenty of chances. Harry Bowen with some great last ditch defending on 68 minutes kept Fire in the match and Debbage then hit the post in what was a frustrating day for Fire’s forward three of Whittaker, Debbage and Baublys. In the last few minutes Gold Coast hit a goal on the counter attack to make it 3-1 to give them a deserved win.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Harry Fletcher
Under 15 Girls – Olympic FC (3) v Sunshine Coast FC (2)
Not submitted
Under 16 Boys – Gold Coast City (3) v Sunshine Coast FC (2)
Gold Coast were going into the game undefeated and Fire had to come away with some points to stay in the top three. Sunshine Coast FC started the game well keeping Gold Coast City locked in their own half, Fire were playing a high pressing game.
In the 5th minute Terone Wattegedara was injured in a header clash and fell to the ground and had to be taken off with a concussion.
Gold Coast City made a break down the centre of the field in the 21st minute, the goal keeper was beaten but Bailey Waern blocked the shot on the line which went over the bar.
Sunshine Coast defence was beaten down the left hand side the ball was crossed into the box and in the 32nd minute, Jarrah Hall-Hart had a shot that went into the bottom left of the net.
Gold Coast City made a break on the right-hand side wing beating the defender to cross in and the ball was tapped in to the back of the net by Joseph Knox. Tom Croft put a great through ball to Taj Suffolk in the 45th minute, who took on the defender and shot just to go wide of the post.
Suffolk put a cheeky lob over the Gold Coast defence, Kurtis Modlin received it and shot hard but the Gold Coast keeper blocked it away. Fire were creating a lot of goal scoring opportunities but the finishing was lacking. Croft’s tenacity helped him win the ball back and beat the keeper for Fire’s first goal.
A through ball was passed down the centre by Croft and Suffolk in the 78th minute, beat their last man and Suffolk shot past the keeper for the equaliser.
Gold Coast replied straight after, starting from a quick free kick that was taken just outside the large box. Gold Coast City capitalised down their left hand side with a quick passes and Hall-Hart shot down low and hard to kill off the game.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Tom Croft
Under 18 Boys – Brisbane City (2) v Sunshine Coast FC (1)
Under threatening skies in humid conditions Fire faced off against Brisbane City on Saturday evening.
For the first 10 minutes each team tested the other without creating any clear chances. Fire were pressing City early, limiting their options which forced City to go long at times.
A promising move in the 12th minute from Fire saw Liam Burns from defence find Ollie Blackmore in midfield. Blackmore’s first touch neatly found Jez Lofthouse on the move forward and Lofthouse put Terone Wattegedara into space in behind the City defence. The City keeper, Macklin Freke, came quickly out of his area to deny Wattegedara the opportunity to shoot.
From a Fire attacking corner in the 14th minute, Freke was committed to challenge for the corner in the air and didn’t take it cleanly but was fortunate a ricochet of the back of the head of a Fire attacker came back to his arms.
Play swept upfield and Josh Wall had to make repeat saves at the near post as a City attacker threatened on the Fire right from close range before Fire Captain James Beckman cleaned up for a City corner. Wall injured his right elbow in the exchange but finished the game after receiving treatment at half time.
Neither team was looking dominant at the 20 minute mark but a mistake by a City midfielder when the ball rolled under his raised foot allowed Blackmore to gather the loose ball and find Taj Suffolk whose shot just cleared the cross bar.
Fire found momentum and created a chance in the 25th minute when Wattegedara played Lofthouse into space only to see his shot cleared off the line; then another in the 28th minute when Beckman played an accurate diagonal ball to Suffolk, as Abe Reeves made a good dummy run on the outside of Suffolk, which allowed Suffolk space to put a cross to Wattegedara but he was unable to control the bouncing ball and his shot was just over the bar.
Fire dropped their intensity a little which allowed City to build momentum of their own and give Fire a scare when City saw a shot just clear the bar in the 35th minute.
Two minutes later a free kick to City outside the Fire box caught Fire napping when it was taken quickly and a short ball to City’s Owain Thomas saw him steady to shoot and beat Wall into the top right corner to make it 1-0.
Despite the disappointment Fire responded and won a corner in the 43rd minute. Reeves placed a dangerous ball into the box and Wattegedara steered the ball toward the net with a header. A City defender made a desperate attempt to clear the ball in the air and managed to kick it upward onto the underside of the crossbar and when it bounced another City defender scooped the ball away. The alert referee’s assistant flagged that the ball had crossed the line in the air before either City defender had touched it, or Wattegedara was awarded Fire’s equaliser.
Fire had been punished for not taking their earlier chances but back in the game in the shadow of half time they were once again under pressure when City won two late corners.
Fire were unable to clear the danger on the second and a City attacker crossed from the left where three City attackers lined up unmarked on the far post. Cian Hill was the one who headed into the net for City to take the lead 2-1 in the 2nd minute of extra time.
Fire came out positively in the second half and in the 51st minute Blackmore put Lofthouse through and with a good first touch fired in a shot only to see Freke save for City.
The second half saw the game flow back and forth without either side managing to score again. Fire came up against a well organised City team who were hungrier than Fire today and City defended with aggression that perhaps went a little too far at times but they managed to get away with it. The Fire midfield was not as effective today despite creating chances as City looked to close them down quickly, on occasion illegally. Reeves troubled City down the right in the second half with his pace.
Fire only had one sub and City matched them by making three substitutes just under the hour. Despite this Fire battled away and eventually found new energy and finished strongly, with two chances to Lofthouse and one for Suffolk who could not beat Freke in goal with a header.
It had been a frustrating day for Fire and a final half chance on full time went unrewarded for Lofthouse at the near post.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Abe Reeves
