Under 12 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (3) v SWQ Thunder FC (0)
Fire were intent on maintaining their position on the top of table, whereas South West Queensland Thunder were looking to cement their position of 3rd.
Both teams began strong with Thunder immediately taking their chances with a shot on goal within the first 2 minutes. A fantastic save by keeper Ben Nassiep allowed Fire to reset play and start pressing. Thunder remained strong, defending Fire’s attack and once again turned the flow play with another shot on goal saved by Nassiep on the 8th minute. Fire recomposed passing the ball around pressing towards goal. A Thunder tackle on Maxx Demerutis resulted in a free kick from outside of the box. Dimtiri Westwood -Pritchard lined up for the shot, with a solid strike towards goal was followed in by Jake Rocker, Fire were on the board on the 16th minute.
Fire continued to utilise each of their players to maintain possession and push forward. Matthew Becker took control of the ball weaving his way through the Thunder defence nicely slotting the ball into the back of net in the 23rd minute. Fire headed into half time 2-0.
Fire returned to the field keen to continue placing results on the board. Sunshine Coast’s defence starting from keeper Riley Schamburg to Jack Connors, Jacob Reid, Joshua Whisker and Harrison Whitelaw remained strong while Flynn Faulkner, Westwood-Pritchard and Demerutis worked hard in the midfield distributing the ball to Kyan Bryant, Kyle Barnes, Lucas Klajijcin, Joshua Kacperski and Rocker to continue attacking.
This continuous attack lead to a corner from Bryant followed in with a header from Becker on the 37th minute.
Fire closed out the match with a 3-0 win.
Player of the Match: Matthew Becker implemented game instructions while demonstrating consistency and versatility.
Under 13 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (8) v SWQ Thunder FC (2)
Coming off a narrow defeat to Western Pride, Fire were looking to improve on their recent performances. From the first whistle they looked hungry and were slowly beginning to look like the team of old. It only took 3 minutes for Jayden Emery to weave his magic as he intercepted a stray Thunder pass. Emery slid a ball through to Jake Debbage who timed his run to perfection. Unfortunately he pushed the ball wide of the goal.
Debbage was given the #9 role for this game and showed his versatility as it only took a few more minutes until he was 1v1 with the keeper again after a quick free kick from Pat Simpson. Debbage chipped the keeper however the ball again drifted just wide of the goal. After an excellent game last week, Aryon Ramos was playing with confidence and was involved in the first goal. After a great run down the left wing, he slipped the ball to Emery who had his first shot well saved by the keeper. Emery followed the deflection and managed to score from a tight angle. The second goal only took another 5mins. Matt Toye won the ball out wide and passed through to the flying Debbage. Debbage rounded the keeper, however still had plenty to do as the keeper had forced him wide. A first time strike from a difficult position was brilliantly executed as Debbage made it 2-0.
Several minutes later Simpson made it 3-0. A free kick was awarded 30m out after Debbage was fouled. Simpson was excellent from this range and had little trouble placing the ball into the back of the net. Simpson was involved with the fourth goal as he crossed to the far post. The ball was met by Patterson who had timed his run to perfection off the left wing. In tight space Patterson pushed the ball in from close range. Patterson was involved again two minutes later as he ran on to a through ball from Debbage to make it 5-0 at the break.
It only took 30 seconds for Fire’s first chance of the second half. Debbage again found himself 1v1 with the keeper after another great run. Unfortunately the ball was just chipped over the cross bar. Thunder attempted a comeback after an early goal to make it 5-1, however Patterson completed his hat trick after five minutes as he nodded home from close range on the far post. He followed this up moments later as a shot from distance was tipped over by the keeper.
Matt Gaske scored his first after 10 minutes when he turned in the box after a deflection from a corner. Gaske shot through traffic and placed the ball into the far corner. Six minutes later Gaske completed a brace as he ran on to a Ramos cross to make it 8-1. A consolation goal was scored with 10 minutes to go, however Fire deserved their easy win after a great performance by all players. The back line was incredibly strong with the anchors of Camm and Evans controlling play all day which allowed Ellenberger, Swindles and Macmillan to find attacking space down the flanks. Lachlan in goal was again outstanding and made several excellent saves. His ball distribution began many attacking plays and his addition to the team certainly has improved team performances. Man of the match was voted unanimously by the team. Alex Patterson was head and shoulders the best player on the field.
Player of the Match: Alex Patterson
Under 16 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (3) v SWQ Thunder FC (2)
Sunshine Coast were in mid table and were going up against South West Queensland who were second on the ladder so the boys needed a win to not fall further behind down the ladder.
2nd min – The ball was lobbed over Bailey Waern and no one was marking Richard Hayden in the centre of the pitch. He took full advantage of a free shot towards goals to shoot hard and low past the keeper for an early lead.
It was a very slow start by Sunshine Coast Fire as they were being pressured by South West Queensland high up the park but they slowly started to hold and control the ball to ease their way back into the game.
Braydon Huston passed a neat through ball to Kurtis Modlin on the right wing. Modlin ran the ball along the right wing and the keeper comes out to block him. Modlin shot to goals from 20 metres out and Saul Doglio finished off the goal by tapping it in, just beating the defenders.
The ball was played onto Saul and he did well to hold the ball and then put it through to Terone Wattegedara down the middle of the field. Wattegedara turned and shot to beat the keeper for a well-deserved goal.
South West Queensland attacked down the left side of the field putting pressure onto Sunshine Coast Fire’s defence. The Sunshine Coast Fire defence were not able to clear the ball and South West Queensland capitalised from a defensive mistake to run onto the ball and slot the shot past the keeper.
Sunshine Coast Fire started pressing South West Queensland defence and capitalised when Braydon stepped over the ball for a dummy that was laid onto the path of Wattegedara who kept his cool to place the ball wide of the keeper into the corner of the net..
Player of the Match: Nathan Foster
Under 18 Boys – Sunshine Coast FC (2) v Gold Coast City FC (3)
With a chance for the Fire 18s to avenge their heaviest loss of the season when the two teams last met in May, Fire kicked with a strengthening Nor’easter at their backs in the first half.
Fire went ahead 1-0 after only three minutes when a misfired shot from Jez Lofthouse fell gratuitously for Kobe Fuller who scored with a low hard shot from just inside the box to beat the diving Garion Vogel in goal for Gold Coast.
Despite the early goal Fire were unsettled in their play but were enjoying territorial advantage.
Gold Coast were gradually working their way into the game and in the 15th minute Fire’s Bailey Waern made a goal saving tackle to deny a Gold Coast attacker in front of goal.
Fire responded in the 20th minute when Jake Nalder found Fuller who turned his defender and his goal bound shot was pushed wide by Vogel for a corner.
Two minutes later it was Sam Porter in goal for Fire who denied Gold Coast a certain goal with a good smothering save.
Fire had chances to get their second without success. In the 25th minute Vogel came a long way out of his box and his clearance fell to Lofthouse just on half way but the ambitious shot from Lofthouse bounced well wide of the goal. In the 27th minute Ollie Blackmore won the ball in a great tackle just inside his own half and in a good individual run forward found Fuller breaking into space behind the Gold Coast defence on the left. Fuller crossed to Lofthouse in front of goal but his shot was again wide.
In the 35th minute Liam Burns saved off the line for Fire with a desperate mid-air lunge with his outstretched right leg.
Fire had another two clear chances before half time. One fell to Fuller in the in the 38th minute when he broke clear down the right but his low shot across goal was just wide of the far post. The other in the 40th minute saw Fuller play a ball for Aidan Ward on a run forward on the left. Ward crossed the ball firmly into the box from the backline toward Blackmore on a run into the box. The ball struck Blackmore awkwardly on the top of the ankle and cleared the bar.
Fire were looking to consolidate their 1-0 lead going into the second half but surrendered their lead after only another six minutes when the ball was lost going forward. Gold Coast quickly countered and Max Fitzgerald scored to make it 1-1 in what was a soft goal for Fire to concede.
In the 56th minute Lofthouse made a good individual run forward but his promising shot cleared the bar. A minute later Fuller saw his shot also clear the bar.
With neither team dominating the game Gold Coast went ahead 2-1 against the run of play in the 77th minute when Cai Tipaldo found a way through the Fire defence with his shot.
Fortunately for Fire they responded straight from the kick-off giving Gold Coast no time to build on their new lead. In a pre-planned move Oscar Bishop tapped to Fuller who played a ball in behind the Gold Coast defence for Blackmore sprinting forward. The Gold Coast defence was slow to react and in a race for the ball Blackmore flicked the ball over the extended leg of Vogel who had been drawn outside his box. Blackmore regathered the ball inside the box on the left and, with two Gold Coast defenders scrambling to get back to defend the goal line, played a ball square to the feet of Bishop who slotted the equaliser to make it 2-2.
This should have been the final score as neither team appeared able to manufacture the winner but, as was so often the case this season, Fire switched off with six minutes to go and Gold Coast crossed from the right and Tipaldo was able to beat the Fire defender to get a foot in and score his second and what would prove to be the winner at 3-2.
Fire were desperate to find an equaliser in the final minutes but Gold Coast, determined to hang onto their lead, picked up two late yellow cards in their desperation to deny Fire the chance to share the points in a game which neither side deserved to lose.
