Pig'N'Whistle Canale Cup RD5 Preview
It’s tiem for RD5 of the Pig ’N’ Whistle Canale Cup to get underway, as the big guns come into the fray who made it through to Preliminary RD5, 6 and 7 of the Westfield FFA Cup, to bring us to the last 16.
We still have one Capital League 3 side in the mix with Caboolture who knocked out Flight Centre Premier League side Ipswich Knights. How far can they progress???
Souths United (FCPL) v Brisbane Knights (CL1) 7.00pm - Tue 25 Jul at Wakerley Park (Being played on the synthetic pitch). The round gets underway with Flight Centre Premier League side Souths United facing a tricky tie against Brisbane Knights. It’s important to note that this tie is being played on Souths' synthetic pitch and it’s fair to say this will impact upon Knights most of all, who wont be used to the surface. If the Rocklea side can adjust to the surface quickly and contain Souths, they can make a game if it. United are still in fourth spot on the Flight Centre Premier League ladder but suffered defeat at the weekend. It will be a tough outing for Knights and it looks a task a touch beyond them to progress to the last eight, but as we saw with giant killers in the Westfield FFA Cup, anything could happen. Prediction: Souths with their experienced heads, to ease to a 3-0 success. Southside Eagles (CL1) v Logan FC (FCPL) 7.15pm - Tue 25 Jul at Memorial Park. Two sides that perhaps look more equally matched than you’d expect. Tuesday night at Memorial Park is no easy outing and Roger Hunter’s side, unlikely to see finals football in 2017, will be looking at a cup run to impress before heading off to the FQPL next season, and they always lift for big games. Logan FC were free fall with just one win against bottom side Capalaba from their previous seven league outings leading into the recent weekend, but a win over Souths United will give them renewed confidence. Logan did of course narrowly lose to eventual Westfield FFA Cup RD of 32 qualifiers Peninsula Power in a thrilling penalty shootout, but that close encounter seems a long time ago now and the Pig ’N’ Whistle Canale Cup is their only hope of silverware now. Chances are this could be Logan’s main focus now but against an Eagles side keen to show they can mix it with the big boys next season in the FQPL, this game could go down to the wire. Prediction: Logan to edge it in extra time 3-2. Caboolture (CL3) v Albany Creek (FCPL) 7.30pm - Tue 25 Jul at Grant Road Sportsground. The only David and Goliath clash in the round with Capital League 3 high flyers Caboolture at home to Flight Centre Premier League's Albany Creek. The Snakes league form has taken a dip and they recently experienced their first back to back league defeats for nearly two years. Even Grant Road doesn’t seem to be the fortress it once was but one thing we can expect is a decent crowd to cheer on the hosts. Creek can still make the top four in the Flight Centre Premier League but will also be eyeing off this competition as an avenue to silverware. A few weeks ago, you’d have been confident of Caboolture at home causing an upset, which is exactly what happened when Ipswich Knights were the visitors in RD4, be it with a reserve team. But their dip in form may be their undoing, even with their former premier league players on the field. Creek, with their normal first team contingent, should prove too good for the Snakes. Prediction: Albany Creek to come away with a 4-1 win. Capalaba (FCPL) v Peninsula Power (FCPL) 7.30pm - Tue 25 Jul at John Fredericks Park. The first of four all Flight Centre Premier League ties coming up in the round and perhaps the easiest to assess. Capalaba made the Pig ’N’ Whistle cup final in 2016 but their league fortunes are very much different this year. A resounding 4-1 win away to local rivals Bayside United in RD4 has led them to this point and with Peninsula Power preparing to face Hyundai A-League side Melbourne City in their first ever foray in the RD of 32 of the Westfield FFA Cup a week later, there’s a fair chance Coach Aaron Philp will rest some players for this tie, especially given that they’re also in the title race for the Flight Centre Premier League. It will be a dillemna for Philp to deal with as he weighs up his priorities and in a way, this tie comes as a bit of a distraction. Capalaba though look like a team beaten. Not even Ahamad Azzawi could turn their fortunes around and he’s since departed to greener pastures in the Middle East. Expect it to be closer than it looks on paper, given Power’s busy schedule ahead. Prediction: Tough to predict depending on the side Power put out. We’ll plump for a 3-1 win to Power. Mitchelton (FCPL) v Eastern Suburbs (FCPL) 7.00pm - Wed 26 Jul at Teralba Park. You can’t discount the Mustangs from re-claiming the Pig ’N’ Whistle Canale Cup they won in 2016. A recent draw at home to Lions FC in the league, after going two goals behind, shows they have character and with fellow Flight Centre Premier League side Easts on the slide, Mitchie ought to progress. The Teralba Park surface has taken a turn for the worse during winter and could prove a leveller for two similar sides but Easts have failed to win any of their last five league games and it’s the sort of form that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon as they slip down the ladder. This competition could provide them with that elusive silverware but it’s looking unlikely. Leo Sirianni’s troops should see off the challenge of Easts and progress to the quarter finals. Prediction: Mitchelton to come from behind with a 4-2 success. Rochedale Rovers (FCPL) v Grange Thistle (FCPL) 7.00pm - Wed 26 Jul at Underwood Park. Rovers have the chance to avenge that Westfield FFA Cup defeat to Grange in the preliminary RD6 clash, as the Underwood Park side go in search of that elusive league and cup double. A loss to Peninsula Power at the weekend in the league will surely see them come out firing in this tie as they look to bounce straight back. Thistle meanwhile have found form in the latter part of the season and are not the easy beats they were earlier on in the year. Whether they can continue to be a thorn in Rochedale’s side remains to be seen as they too look for what is their only hope of a trophy in 2017. Rovers at home though ought to take this one out and head in to the last eight. Prediction: Rochedale to win 3-1. Toowong (CL2) v Holland Park Hawks (FCPL) 7.30pm - Tue 1 Aug at Dunmore Park. Holland Park Hawks are now under the direction of Coach Joe Fenech following Anth Smith’s departure, and he got off to a great start with a 2-1 league win at Eastern Suburbs in his first game in charge. Hawks face Grange Thistle at home this weekend before their cup trip to Toowong, but they’ll be confident of moving through to the quarter finals against their Capital League 2 opponents. Toowong have caused one upset in the Pig ’N’ Whistle Canale Cup when they knocked out Capital League 1’s North Pine in a 2-1 extra time success in RD3. Holland Park though ought to prove a far tougher proposition. Of course one thing going in their favour is the home advantage and if they can grab an early goal, they could give the Hawks problems... but it’s unlikely. Prediction: Holland Park to progress with a 3-0 success. UQFC (CL1) v Taringa Rovers (CL1) 7.30pm - Wed 2 Aug at University of QLD field 3. Yet to be scheduled (we’ll update once known), this is the only all Capital League clash. That said, Taringa are streets ahead of the majority of their fellow Capital League 1 opponents and will prove a handful for the Students in what is a local derby. The last time the two sides met at the end of June, Rovers were comfortable 5-0 winners. Rovers could also have the Capital League 1 title wrapped up this weekend if they win at North Star on Friday night. Should they achieve that, they’ll be a more relaxed atmosphere amongst the squad which will offer them the chance to be more flamboyant when they head to UQ as well as provide them with an opportunity to go all the way in the competition. Taringa also have the benefit of having knocked out Flight Centre Premier League premiership contenders Lions FC in the last round, so only the most faithful of UQFC followers will be looking forward to the Students making it through. For the rest of us there can only be one winner here. Prediction: Taringa to easily account for the Students 4-1.
