Gorillas With Vital Win As Students Free Fall
North Pine 2 (Kuboyama 23'; Parker 90+1') UQFC 1 (Van Gend 9') HT 1-1 Played at: Bob Brock Park Referee: Lara Lee
North Pine earned just their second win of the season courtesy of Craig Parker's deft header in added time which condemned UQFC to a fourth straight defeat as they free fall down the table in a game that neither side could ill afford to lose.
It could have been a different scenario however with the Students forcing Gorilla's keeper Matt Bradley into action twice in the opening five minutes, with shots from Michael Van Gend and Michael Pascale requiring the North Pine custodian to be alert. But Bradley's early good work was undone just before the 10 minute mark when he fumbled a long throw, allowing Van Gend to head the loose ball onto the underside of the bar and across the line before being hacked away. The ball having clearly crossed as the visitors took an early lead.
UQ's early season start impressed many but they have slumped back into their old ways and it wasn't long before they allowed their opponents to be back on level terms. Keeper Linus Schibler nearly gifting the home side when he overshot a free kick floated into the box before the ball was cleared off the line by one of his team mates.
However midway through the half, Schibler was well beaten when recent new signing for the hosts, Shuto Kuboyama, worked his way into the box before drilling a low shot across the UQ stopper, into the far bottom corner of the goal.
Luck would also deprive them of goal scorer Van Gend who had to be substituted shortly after Pine's equaliser after picking up a nasty cork to the side of his knee.
The visitors did have the ball in the back of the net just after the half hour with Loic David picking up a loose clearance from Bradley and firing into a virtually empty net, only to see his strike ruled out after Pascale had fouled the Gorilla's keeper.
With the second half underway you could tell you were looking at two teams involved in what will likely be a relegation scrap. Neither side really took control of the game with a likely goal to come from an error.
The visitors looked the better side for the first part of the half but their hearts would have been in their mouths when Schibler nearly scored an own goal; fumbling a free kick onto the underside of the bar before the Students were able to clear the ball away from danger.
If the first part of the half belonged to UQ, the final quarter of the game was all North Pine as the home side went in search of a winner.
UQ's Luke Leggett and North Pine's Josh Hall battle for the ball on the edge of the box.
The hosts had a good shout for penalty turned down when UQ's Luke Leggett bundled over Pine substitute Josh Hall as both were heading to UQ's goal, but Referee Lara Lee was unsure of where contact occurred and opted to award the free kick on the edge of the box as opposed to from the spot where the foul looked to have eventuated, with the resulting free kick only troubling the roosting birds at the clubhouse end of the ground.
Just when the game looked to be heading for a stalemate in the same way the Reserves had finished prior to this game, James Fairgrieve lobbed in a dangerous ball to the edge of the six yard box where Parker was on hand to head the ball home just inside the upright a minute into added time.
It was perhaps a cruel blow to the visitors who's confidence is shot. They show signs that they can play but too many errors are beginning to cost them dearly.
North Pine will be hoping I turn up more often to their games with their last win coming against Capalaba in the opening round for which I was present. Despite the win though, they remain rooted to the foot of the Flight Centre Premier League ladder but valuable club championship points will help in their battle to avoid the drop.
Pele Toussaint was a dynamo in the UQ's midfeild.
FB Media Player of the Match: #9 Pele Toussaint - UQFC It's not often we award the Player of the Match to someone from the losing side but Toussaint, making his first top side start for the Students, was impressive in his work rate, covering numerous areas of the field. The youngster can be forgiven for tiring late on but he will be a player to watch in the future.
TEAM LINE-UPS:
North Pine: Bradley (gk), Brindle-South, Culleton, Esdale, Fairgrieve, Keslake, Kuboyama, Lincoln, Maticic, McEvoy. Subs: Russell, Christiansen, Rudd, Parker, Hall. UQFC: Schibler (gk), David, Farr, Fisher-Smith, Haworth, Leggett, Maguire, Pascale, Sakurai, Toussaint, Van Gend. Subs: Franks, Galloway, Henny, Westerdale, Long (rgk)
FB Media Match Stats. Possession: 48% - 52% Shots on target: 6 - 7 Shots off target: 5 - 6 Free kicks: 15 - 18 Offside: 0 - 1 Corners: 1 - 4 Yellow Cards: 3 - 2
