Valley broke a five game losing streak and consigned QUT to the bottom of the ladder following an impressive second half performance against the Ibis. Valley spearhead Tobias Figura scored the first goal of the match but then had a penalty stroke saved by QUT goalkeeper Chris Grew. Boosted by Grew’s save, QUT equalised through Andre Pohl for a 1-1 halftime scoreline.  After the break Valley’s Duncan Stewart and Cameron Dunning and QUT’s Justin Truscott traded goals to leave the match in the balance at 3-2 after 45 minutes. Valley lacked discipline late in the match, with Stewart, Andrew McGuckin and Matt Denning all receiving yellow cards.  Despite Valley playing with nine men at one stage, QUT could not capitalize, with Valley playing more fluent attacking hockey. But Figura scored two of his three goals for the match in the final quarter hour, to secure victory and increase the gap between ninth placed Valley and last-placed QUT to five points.

- Lee Oliver

Easts 2 (Jacob Webber, Matt Gohdes) defeated Redcliffe Leagues 1 (Shane Kenny) at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

Easts remained on top of the ladder, and booked its place in the mid-season Memorial Cup final, following a hard fought win over Redcliffe Leagues.  Jacob Webber scored for Easts in the 12th minute, before the home team equalised eight minutes later.  An attacking move from the halfway line culminated in Shane Kenny deflecting the ball into the net. But Redcliffe Leagues’s joy was snuffed out within a single minute, when a downfield hit by Easts led to Matt Gohdes scoring as Redcliffe Leagues goal-keeper Daniel Pink advanced when he was virtually on his own.  The teams took it in turns to dominate play and set up scoring chances, but scrambling defence and turnovers at vital times ensured the ball did not make it into the net again in the final 49 minutes of play.  The result was the third match in a row that Easts have beaten Redcliffe Leagues 2-1, while the past 11 clashes between the sides have been decided by two goals or less.

- Liam Hauser

Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 1 (Craig Smith) defeated University of Queensland 0 at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths put itself in striking distance of the Brisbane Hockey League top five after securing a vital victory over fellow finals aspirants University of Queensland.  The Saints made themselves work extra hard for their third win of the season, squandering numerous genuine goal scoring chances before finally finding the net from the penalty spot.  Despite their side having a bevy of chances in front of goal, Matt Bradley, Mike Stokes, Craig Richards and Craig Smith failed to hit the target as the 0-0 stalemate remained for almost an hour.  At the other end, Saints goalkeeper Nathan Panetta pulled off some great diving saves to deny University’s Graham Ashburner and Greg Collins.  With Saints’ Ryan Gibbs getting the better of University opposite Hamish Baron in their midfield battle, the deadlock was finally broken 13 minutes before fulltime when Smith sent University goalkeeper Adam Dinsdale the wrong way with a well taken penalty stroke.

- Lee Oliver

Labrador 3 (Tommy Kavanagh 2, Brad Puleosi) drew with United 3 (Shane Cowling, Ash Randell, Adam McClelland) at Keith Hunt Park, Labrador.

United once again proved they are the competition’s come-from-behind experts, reversing a two-goal deficit to draw 3-3 for the second time in three matches, this time against Labrador.  The home side showed its strength early in the game, with Tommy Kavanagh scoring two early goals as the Tigerstix dominated the first half, keeping most of the action at the United end of the field.  But United fought back in the dying minutes of the first period, with Shane Cowling and Ash Randell scoring within a minute of each other to leave a 2-2 tie at the break.  One of the goals by United, was a spectacular goal that was scored as some Labrador players were caught out of position.  Labrador’s Brad Puleosi scored an impressive goal late in the second half with a deflection, but Adam McClelland responded to score United’s equalising goal with six minutes remaining to continue his side’s mid-season revival.  United has now lost only one of its past five matches.

- Alex Kessaram

Commercial 6 (Cale Kramer 3, Adam Barry, Kye Hawgood, Chris Beale) defeated Bulimba 2 (Liam Brown, Ben Flemming) at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

Commercial took advantage of some lacklustre Bulimba defence to a record a convincing 6-2 win at Redcliffe.  Cale Kramer score a hat-trick of goals in the first half as second-placed Commercial raced to a 4-0 lead at the break.  Kramer scored first in the sixth minute, but Bulimba kept the margin to one goal until four minutes before the break when a penalty corner resulted. Adam Barry scored from the ensuing penalty hit, and then Commercial went on a rampage in the shadows of halftime.  Kramer scored his second goal two minutes before the break and scored again just three seconds before the hooter.  In the second half, Kye Hawgood scored the Cobras’ fifth goal before Liam Brown and Ben Flemming scored for Bulimba to close the gap to 5-2.  But a frustrated Brown was yellow-carded for dissent, and Bulimba’s comeback ended.  Commercial’s Chris Beale completed the scoring in the last minute.  The win puts the Cobras in the box seat to play Easts in the Memorial Cup final on June 21.

- Liam Hauser

BRISBANE HOCKEY LEAGUE - ROUND 7

Rescheduled match due to washed out fixture on May 17.

Easts 9 (Jason Wilson 5, Brad Mathers 3, Darran Bisley) defeated University of Queensland 3 (Greg Collins, Murray Wenzel, Timbi Poon) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Easts forward Jason Wilson had a night to remember in a match that was replayed after the two sides began a contest that was abandoned the previous weekend.  Wilson scored five goals as the unbeaten Tigers registered a big 9-3 win, while Brad Mathers scored three times.  In the previous match, University led Easts 1-0 before rain intervened, but the Redmen’s strong efforts in that match were a distant memory as the competition leaders went on a first-half scoring spree in the replay.  In a match played in drizzling rain throughout, the scores remained 0-all until 19 minutes of play had elapsed.  But there was little sign of the carnage that was to follow. Easts scored six goals in the 16 minutes leading up to half-time after capitalising on a series of short corners, as well as scoring two field goals.  University fought back in the second half with goals to Murray Wenzel and frequent scorers Greg Collins and Timbi Poon, but Easts also found the net three more times to ensure the game was high scoring despite the weather.

- Liam Hauser

POINTS:

Easts 24, Commercial 18 *, Bulimba 15, Labrador 13, Redcliffe Leagues 12, Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 9, University of Queensland 8, United 8, Valley 6 *, QUT 1.

* denotes game in hand

LEADING GOAL SCORERS:

11  -  Tobias Figura (Valley)
      -  James McAlpine (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Jason Wilson (Easts)
  9  -  Darran Bisley (Easts)
      -  David Brain (Commercial)
  8  -  Tim Bates (Easts)
  6  -  Hamish Baron (University of Queensland)
      -  Cale Kramer (Commercial)
      -  Adam McClelland (United)
      -  Brad Puleosi (Labrador)
      -  Ian Schulz (Redcliffe Leagues)
  5  -  Jacob Burns (Commercial)
      -  Greg Collins (University of Queensland)
      -  Duncan Mahony (Bulimba)
      -  Marcus McKinnon (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Luke Paine (Bulimba)
      -  Timbi Poon (University of Queensland)

Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths' Tristan Parker runs away from University's Hamish Baron.

University's Greg Collins sees his backstick shot sail wide of the post.

Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths centre half Ryan Gibbs looks to pass through University's
Sam Burns.

Compiled by Lee Oliver.