With each of the bottom three clubs earning a point, unbeaten Sunshine Coast FC emphatically beating then-second placed Redlands City Devils 6-0, Queensland Academy of Sport scoring five to see off Whitsunday Miners and NQ Razorbacks coming from behind beat Olympic FC to firmly hold onto their finals hopes.

Queensland Academy of Sport made the trip north to play the Whitsunday Miners, each team desperate for a win, with just six victories between the two sides this season. Miners started brightly, and scored first through Troy Mundy before a Tommy Oar double and a strike from Mitchell Bevan gave the visitors the lead going into the break. A Miners comeback looked likely when Ben Schaper scored just after half-time and Andy Cygan volleyed home to equalise on the hour-mark but QAS secured the win with two goals in two minutes from captain Michael Angus and substitute Elliott Ronto.

Capricorn Cougars and Bundaberg Spirit played out the first goalless game of the QSL this season when they met on Saturday night in Rockhampton. Both teams had plenty of chances to score, but neither managed to hit the back of the net with both teams mis-hitting shots, striking the ball against the woodwork and defending off the line.

The clash between Sunshine Coast FC and Redlands City Devils was always going to be a game of high intensity and although one-sided, the determination from both teams could not be questioned. Sunshine Coast FC went ahead in just five minutes through Michael Scarff, and were 2-0 up going into the break. The second half saw Redlands lose their composure and had both Josh Filewood and Evan Parish sent off in quick succession. Sunshine Coast took advantage of the numerical difference and hit another four past Redlands, including a sensational strike from Kema Jack who managed to find the net in the tightest of angles. Sunshine Coast FC now sit nine points clear at the top of the table.

NQ Razorbacks and Olympic FC went into their encounter with everything to play for. Shane Coffey’s brace put the Brisbane-based side in the lead going into the break but three NQ goals after half-time, including a Josh Searle strike a minute into play and a penalty from Lee Mayberry completed the comeback and lifted the North Queenslanders to second place on the ladder.

Logan United hosted Brisbane Strikers in what was the game of the round, and again showed the league they are not to be underestimated with an impressive performance that earned them a 2-2 draw. They so easily could have ended up victorious, with Strikers’ Michael Butters equalising in the dying minutes of the game after Logan substitute Toru Seki netted twice to take the lead and Gareth Musson scored the Strikers’ other. The game was also marred with controversy as Strikers’ player-coach Stuart McLaren was sent off in his first QSL appearance as a player.

Words: Michelle Tobin

Picture: Robyn Woodall

QSL RESULTS – ROUND 14

Whitsunday Miners 3 (Troy Mundy, Ben Schaper, Andy Cygan) - Queensland Academy of Sport 5 (Michael Angus, Mitchell Bevan, Tommy Oar 2, Elliott Ronto)

Capricorn Cougars 0 - Bundaberg Spirit 0

NQ Razorbacks 4 (David Mayes 2, Lee Mayberry, Joshua Searle) - Olympic FC 2 (Shane Coffey 2)

Sunshine Coast FC 6 (Michael Scarff 2, Leon Dwyer, Kema Jack, David Muta, Ben Knight) - Redlands City Devils 0

Logan United 2 (Toru Seki 2) - Brisbane Strikers 2 (Gareth Musson, Michael Butters)