First Team:
Sunshine Coast Fire 5 v Brisbane Roar 0
A stunning five goal second half scoring blitz – including a hat-trick to Reyze Kelly – has seen Sunshine Coast Fire down Brisbane Roar NYL at Perry Park on Sunday.
Fire midfielder Kelly’s three goals were complemented by Jayke Cuschieri and David Macrae as the visitors ran riot late in the contest following a scoreless opening stanza.
The best chance of the first half for the visitors came in the 23rd minute as Jordan Miller cut the ball back across goal only for Roar defender Costa Psaros to clear close to the line.
Almost immediately, the home side went up the other end and came even closer to scoring – Shelford Dais taking three defenders with him as he sprinted towards goal but skewing his shot wide.
Just after the restart, Fire captain Paul Arnison made his side’s second half intentions known with a powerful strike that stung the palms of Roar custodian Denver Crickmore.
Brock Messenger provided the assist for the opener on 58 minutes, providing a sharp cut back that allowed Kelly to rifle home his shot on the burst.
Fire continued wear down the young Roar defence and Jayke Cuschieri added to the scoreboard with twenty minutes left to play with a sharp finish from outside the area.
Kelly doubled his tally – and effectively sealed the points – in the 81st minute, putting pressure on Crickmore that saw him block the goalkeeper’s clearance and picking up the loose ball to finish into an empty net.
David Macrae continued the rout with an impressive strike from long range two minutes later before Kelly rounded out his hat-trick in the 83rd minute, slotting past Crickmore into the far corner of the net.
The result continues Fire’s up and down campaign ahead of next weekend’s tough home match against the high-flying Moreton Bay United at Stockland Park; meanwhile Roar will take stock with a bye in the next round.
Brisbane Roar NYL 0
Sunshine Coast Fire 5 (Reyze KELLY 58′ 81′ 85′, Jayke CUSCHIERI 72′, David MACRAE 83′)
Open Women’s Team:
Sunshine Coast Fire 1 v Olympic 1
Fire travelled to Brisbane to take on Olympic FC, who were placed one spot above Fire on the SEQWPL ladder. Fire defeated Olympic in their last encounter but the players were expecting a tough game.
Fire was defending against strong winds and the dry pitch made it hard to string passes together. Fire only managed a few attacks, but defended very well as a team with Alex Psarros and Els Van Hooijdonk outstanding. Olympic scored a late goal in the 45th minute from a corner to send Fire in at half time 1-0 down.
A positive start to the second-half led to sustained pressure on the Olympic goal without reward for the majority of the half. However, in the 62nd minute a short corner and goal-mouth scramble allowed Captain Kayla Moore to score. The goal did at come at a cost with Moore having to come off injured.
The Fire continued to push forward but was unable to put the game away despite an effort from the edge of the area striking the bar.
Coach Dave Bensted said the girls had collected a deserved point after a solid performance.
Under 18 Boys:
The Under 18 Boys took on Palm Beach for the third time this season, with an 11-man squad due to injuries and suspension.
The Fire started well in the hot conditions, producing an outstanding performance in the first-half particularly from keeper Brendan Martin. However, it was Palm Beach who scored first, gaining a goal advantage in the 35th minute and holding onto the lead into half-time.
Fire Coach Paul Arnison was upbeat during the break and assured his players that the Sharks would not contain them for the full 90 minutes.
Within five minutes of the restart Jacob Fulluck bagged two goals in the 47th and 49th minutes for Fire to take the lead, but against the run of play Palm Beach was awarded a penalty following a Nik Taylor tackle and the Sharks drew level 2-2.
Jesse Wilson reclaimed the lead for Fire in the 71st minute and with only three minutes to go Fire looked set to take the three points and reclaim the top spot on the league ladder. However, the Sharks scored a rapid two goals in the dying minutes to gain a 4-3 lead.
Fire rallied and was awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time, but the fatigued goal-scoring machine Jacob Fulluck blasted his shot into the post to deny Fire a well-earned result.
“In my opinion we were the better team today,” Arnison said.
“If we play with the same energy, heart and togetherness every week, and we get a few injured players back on the pitch, we won’t be far off the top of this league.
“The Manager, Chris Garratt, and I are proud of this squad.
“A special thanks must go to the travelling parents and to Brendan Martin, Gabriel Dennis and Matt Carrick who backed up with a full 90 minutes for the Youth Men’s Team,” he said.
Man of the Match: Brendan Martin. Runners up were all the other 10 players.
