QCSA SM1 Rd.9 – Sat. 27th June 2015
Ten games into the season and we still have a three-way race for the SM1 premiership but there will be some interesting times ahead to see in which order they will finish at the end of the 18 games. Although all three should feature in the finals with their great depth in their squads with 8 games to go.
After a slow start to the season, Brisbane Athletic won their 7th game in a row by toppling the league-leaders, St Pauls, 3-0 at home. In that time, Athletic have scored 30 goals in their last 7 games. This allowed the young lads of Westminster to reach the top after a strong 4-2 away win over LGB.
In other games, Sunnybank Saints drew 2-2 in a tough battle at Blackstone United and remain in 4th. Both teams have shown that they can play football this year, but their lack of depth in their squads sees them in mid-table instead of challenging the leading three teams.
Mansfield Eagles won 3-1 against Whitehill and still believe that they are in the hunt for finals football – and for all Aussies – the pinnacle of the season – to win the Grand Final! Logan Metro are also in with a chance after their 3-1 in over North Pine Baptist.
Some interesting games for the next round will see St Pauls face Sunnybank Saints at home. After 8 straight wins, pace-setters St Pauls have only one point in their last two games. Is the winning streak now a distant memory? What about the Westminster (aiming for their 9th win in a row) versus Brisbane Athletic (aiming for their 8th win in a row) encounter! Will the guile and speed of the Westminster lads win out over the strength, experience and artistry of the Brisbane Athletic team?
After some surprising results in the QCSA over the weekend, will Whitehill do what Brisbane Valley did in SW1 and also get up against Logan Metro for their first points?
QCSA SW1 Rd.9 – Sat. 27th June 2015
Another round of tight games as we move into the second half of the season. Logan Uniting continued on their good form against 4th placed West End, and in an exciting 2-2 encounter, failed to take the three points which they thoroughly deserved. On their day, the LU ladies are as good as any of the leading teams in the competition, yet, they only have 7 points out of a total of 30 points. There mustn't be too many hairs left to pull out for the coaching staff – yet the smiles and good natured banter still survive – as the priority of LU is the shared experience of playing as a team, instead of results determining the outcome of a good season.
Rosewood United bounced back to winning ways with a solid 3-1 home win against a buoyant Salisbury Baptist who had won their previous two games. Westminster made the long trip north to North Pine’s fortress at Murrumba Downs and toughed it out in a gritty 3-2 win, twice coming from behind to outlast the home team. By doing so, 2nd and 3rd place is reversed as both teams look towards playing finals football. In the match of the round, Blackstone United continued their march towards the premiership/championship double as they did in SW2 last year by winning quite convincingly 4-0 at Worley Park. Fortunately for the home team, Raceview, they only conceded 4 goals – due to their resilient/fighting team spirit, as Blackstone United had scored 30 goals in their previous 3 games!
In the final game, Brisbane Valley got their first win of the season by winning 3-0 at home versus Logan Metro. A late goal in the first half gave the girls new found hope, since they had not scored a goal for over a month, and then two late goals in the final quarter of an hour finally brought joy to the BV ladies. Reports from the home club indicate that the girls walked out on the park expecting to win!!! My, what self-belief and confidence in one another can do for a team.
In SW2, there was a boil-over as the struggling Rathdowney ladies toppled the previously undefeated Whitehill and celebrated their 2-1 home win. Silkstone Pink consolidated their 2nd place with a hard fought 4-2 win over 4th placed St Pauls. Sunnybank Saints are squeezed between these two in 3rd place after a strong 4-1 win against Colleges.
In SW3, Beaudesert replaced Northside at the top of the ladder with a hard-fought and nerve-racking 2-1 win at home. (Northside won the first encounter 5-2 earlier in the season.) St Cat’s are in third place three points behind and all three teams are assured of finals football with a race on for 4th place amongst the remaining teams.
QCSA Senior Women’s Div.1 Match of the Day
Raceview 0 vs Blackstone United 4 (h/t:0-2)
Ref: Declan Murphy
Asst Refs: Lachlan Hawkswell & Cliff Phillips (QCSA Sec & volunteer linesman)
Coach: George Grant And Mark Freeman (Raceview) & Andrew Haywood (Blackstone United)
Manager: Sarah Triggs (R) & David Harper (BU)
Captain: Jodie Neale (R) & Cassandra Mohr (BU)
The Raceview girls knew they were coming up against a red-hot Blackstone United team who had scored 30 goals in their previous three games, but, the task became even more difficult when their ace speedsters, Joanne Vass-Bowen and Amy Ingram, withdrew from their line-up.
From the outset, Bianca Hubbard showed a clean pair of heels and constantly ran down the touchline and provided the Blackstone girls with numerous opportunities in and around the penalty box. From the opening minute, her cross found Coral Niven on the far post and a well-timed volley rocked against the crossbar and out of play. Moments later, a wonderful through ball by Teagan Gordon sent Tamara Clarke past the defenders but an alert Raceview g/k came charging out and foiled the attempt. Teagan was in the thick of things once more as she barnstormed through the middle of the park and was unceremoniously dumped 20 metres from goal. The resultant foul was smashed over the bar by none other than Teagan herself and through the uprights for a conversion. Yes, the football goals were replaced by dual football/rugby league posts for a rugby league carnival next week. There’s a possibility the Brothers league selectors were present looking out for talent!?! A brilliant passage of play followed as Bianca Hubbard passed to Tamara Clarke, on to Cassandra Mohr, then back to Tamara Clarke and finally a cross from Bianca Hubbard was directed at Coral Niven again, but Maddie Hoffmann positioned herself well to head the ball away from danger.
The Raceview girls weathered the initial storm and began to make some attacking forays of their own. In a similar move to Blackstone’s Sophie Box, Jodie Neale and Leah Sibbick combined in the 7th minute to set up Sophie Box on the edge of the penalty area, but, a lunging Bianca Hubbard deflected the ball out for a corner. Leah Sibbick whipped across a dangerous cross before Nicola Harwood and Alicia Cole combined to clear the ball. Minutes later, Raceview’s Brooke Carroll tried her luck with a shot from distance but it was well covered by the ever safe Blackstone g/k, Jessica Burrows.
Raceview’s resurgence came to a sudden halt as their opposing coach, Andrew Haywood, made the all too familiar substitution in the 20th minute. With the arrival of fresh legs – Bethan Harris, Taylor Hedrick and …… Nikki Hubbard.
In the 29th minute, with a congested midfield, there were four of five strong challenges as the midfielders wrestled for ascendancy, but a fortunate rebound found Nikki Hubbard 25 metres from goal. Her first touch forward eliminated the crowded pack and her terrific speed of the mark took her momentum towards goal. With another steadying touch she picked the spot and calmly placed a hard shot to the left of the g/k for Blackstone’s opener. The lead was doubled in the 35th minute after another brilliant run down the right flank by Bianca Hubbard. Her cutback found Taylor Hedrick and her first touch to the side was met by an advancing Nikki Hubbard to put away a similar shot to the first low and hard into the corner of the net. For those wanting a clearer picture, imagine a short corner being taken in hockey.
Raceview’s Paula Oldfield came into the middle of the park and added some attacking flair. The central defensive pairing of Maddie and Emily Hoffmann repelled attack after attack from Blackstone with the help of their g/k, Desiree Keating. The score remained at 2-0 to the visitors at half-time.
The second half began very much like the first half with a number of raids by Blackstone United, mainly from Bianca Hubbard, peppering the front of the goals with crosses. So it was in the 65th minute when Cassandra Mohr’s diagonal pass found Bianca Hubbard on the right her back post cross eluded the mass pack in front of the g/k and a flying volley from Nikki Hubbard smashed into the roof of the net. Poetry in motion!
The Raceview coaches injected Emily Hoffmann into midfield and her tireless running and hard tackling created a few half chances, yet, Raceview’s inability to finish let them down badly. Not so, at the other end, as Cassandra Mohr found Nikki Hubbard one –vs- one on the edge of the penalty area. With a jink to the left, and then the right, she swivelled on to her left foot and smashed another spectacular goal into the top corner giving the Raceview g/k n chance! And that was the ball game.
The Blackstone brand of a solid defensive cordon lead by the g/k Jessica Burrows, Nicola Harwood and Alicia Cole with a number of players taking their turn at playing left or right back added to the fire-power out wide was topped off by classic finishing make the no.1 team in the league at the moment. Not to mention the drive through the middle provided by Teagan Gordon, Cassandra Mohr and Dana Haywood and there are no weaknesses for opposing teams to exploit.
Whilst there were many outstanding performances on the day, none were more pronounced than the wing play by Bianca Hubbard, who displayed speed, dribbling skills and wonderful crosses for her teammates to capitalise on. Raceview’s captain, Jodie Neale, came back to her group of Raceview players after all the players and coaches shook hands at the end of the game and announced, “Who cares we lost … they were tough!” Spot on Jodie!
