Round 5 – FNQ Bulls

Hyundai Queensland State League – Round Five Preview

Far North Queensland Bulls v Sunshine Coast Fire

Kane Frampton – Staff Reporter

 Four games into the 2011 HQSL season and the Sunshine Coast Fire have built an impressive winning streak, defeating all comers thus far to sit alone atop the ladder. This weekend, it will be the Far North Queensland Bulls gunning to knock the Fire off their perch as the team travels north to Mareeba on Saturday.

With Tyson Holmes netting five goals from midfield in the last three games and handy contributions from the club’s new recruits, the Fire are setting a cracking pace early in 2011. The side was impressive in opening up a three goal lead over Southern Cross United last weekend, but laboured in the latter stages of that match and will be looking for a more consistent 90 minutes against Far North Queensland on Saturday.

For the Bulls, their early season has been ravaged by weather and match postponements. The side are winless after four rounds in this season’s HQSL, with their first two fixtures washed out. They likely would have been behind the eight ball in terms of match fitness when they fronted up in Round 3, and suffered a 3-1 home loss to the Brisbane Strikers, followed by a 2-2 draw with the Queensland Academy of Sport in Round 4.

Although yet to open their account this season, FNQ on their home patch are a daunting prospect, with the 2010 finalists winning their first three matches at Borzi Park last season.

Kick-off for the match is set for 8pm on Saturday, April 9.

As for the Sunshine Coast Fire’s youth teams, this round will be an interesting one with the Under-19s meeting their Gympie Fire counterparts in a friendly at One Mile Oval.

The Under-19s have strung together back-to-back 4-2 victories over quality opposition in the last two weeks, accounting for QAS and Southern Cross United. The team has shown fighting spirit to come from behind in both those games, a quality that will surely have pleased new coach Paul Edwards.

As for the Gympie Fire, their introduction to HQSYL has been something of a baptism of fire, with heavy losses to Southern Cross and Logan in the opening rounds. The side has shown great improvement since then, with Greg Plumb’s boys scoring their first point of the season last week when they toughed out a 0-0 draw against the Gold Coast 19s.

Kick-off is set for 3pm on Saturday April 9, at One Mile Oval in Gympie.