Valley goal scorer Duncan Stewart puts pressure on Redcliffe Leagues' Matthew Curran.

Bulimba's Dean Butler skips away from University tackler Hamish Baron.

Bulimba's Blake Wallis clears the ball away despite the attention of David Brooks.

BRISBANE HOCKEY LEAGUE - ROUND 16


Easts 4 (Jarrod Black 3, Jacob Whetton) drew with Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 4 (Craig Smith 2, Ryan Gibbs 2) at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

A last-gasp goal from Easts striker Jacob Whetton salvaged a 4-4 draw for the Tigers against Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths, and ensured the top five won’t be determined until the season’s final fixture.  The result keeps Easts' slim finals hopes alive, and means the Saints must win their last two games if they are to make a drought-breaking finals appearance.  The enormity of the match was evident early, with the 2009 campaigns of both sides on the line.  Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths struck first through striker Ryan Gibbs, but within five minutes it was Easts, courtesy of a Jarrod Black double, who led.  His brace of goals included a diving deflection from a Whetton pass.  However, Saints’ Craig Smith slotted a drag flick before half-time to tie up the game at 2-2 at the break.  Black’s third goal gave Easts a vital advantage, and despite Saints then dominating possession, time was running out.  In a dramatic final six minutes Smith converted a second drag flick, before a diving Gibbs finished a Justin Truscott baseline run to seemingly seal an incredible comeback with two minutes remaining.  Yet the hysteria proved premature, as a determined Whetton nailed an equaliser in the dying moments to deny Saints a memorable victory – Nicholas Bolton.


University of Queensland 2 (Timbi Poon, Hamish Baron) drew with Bulimba 2 (Kyle Richardson, Dean Butler) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Adam Dinsdale produced arguably the best goalkeeping performance of the season to give University supporters plenty to celebrate at the club’s 85th anniversary dinner that night.  The University captain pulled off a series of stunning saves to help his side earn a draw to end a 13-game losing streak in matches against Bulimba.  Early on it looked like the Redmen were set to beat the Bulls for the first time in five years, after Timbi Poon and Hamish Baron scored to give the students a 2-0 lead after 16 minutes.  However, soon after coming off the bench Bulimba’s Kyle Richardson scored, before Dinsdale smothered a powerful shot from Liam Brown.  Five minutes after half-time Bulls halfback Dean Butler scored from a penalty corner to tie the scores, before University had Dinsdale and his helmet to thank for keeping his team in the match by making a series of sterling saves as Bulimba had a monopoly on ball possession.  Inside the final ten minutes of the match Dinsdale made a save before Brown’s full-blooded shot from the rebound crashed into the goalkeeper’s facemask.  The goalkeeper then dived full stretch to tip out both Luke Paine’s penalty corner flick and another shot from Butler, before smothering a Butler deflection with 30 seconds left – Lee Oliver.


Commercial 8 (Chris Beale 2, Cale Cramer 2, Daniel Beale, Adam Barry, Tom Brough, Jacob Burns) defeated United 2 (Adam McClelland 2) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Only a fortnight out from the finals the boys in purple have definitely found their form after posting their third consecutive six-goal victory.  The Beale brothers fuelled Commercial’s dominance early on with three goals between them in just 15 minutes. Daniel Beale scored first after beating United goalkeeper Mark Limbrick at the top of the circle seven minutes in. But he was soon outdone by his older brother Chris, who reinforced why he is one of the best drag flickers in the competition, scoring twice. With United’s spirits down, the Cobras bagged two more goals before half-time, to Tom Brough and Adam Barry, to take their lead to 5-0. After the break Cale Cramer got his first goal of the match, scoring from a penalty corner set play, but soon after United finally found some shape which allowed Adam McClelland to score twice to take his season goal tally to 26. But the Cobras proved to be too good in the end, with two skilful passages of play allowing Cramer to bag his double and Jacob Burns to score his first goal of the season. Despite their recent goal scoring form it won’t be an easy run heading into the finals for Commercial, who face third-placed Labrador before taking on competition leaders Redcliffe Leagues – Rebecca Kirchner.


Labrador 4 (Grant Smith 2, Mark Harris, Craig Bigham) defeated QUT 1 (Adam Rankin) at Keith Hunt Park, Labrador.

QUT returned to the scene of the club’s greatest ever victory but the result was reversed as Labrador won to virtually secure a finals berth. Almost a year after the Ibis stunned the Tigerstix with a monumental 1-0 win during their last road trip to the Gold Coast, QUT again proved they were no pushovers against the home side.  The students restricted Labrador to one first half goal, a tomahawk shot to Grant Smith in the 24th minute, and held out the Tigerstix for the first 12 minutes of the second half.  When Labrador broke the resistance of QUT fullbacks Mark Agnew and Geordie Stewart again it was from a goal to Mark Harris, polishing off a great run from Craig Bigham.  QUT was still in the contest late in the match until two goals in as many minutes from Labrador broke the back of the Ibis.  First Bigham scored a goal from a penalty corner, before Smith landed another tomahawk shot to give the Tigerstix an unassailable 4-0 lead with 12 minutes remaining.  As soon as Labrador had shut the gate on QUT’s chance for a second upset win at Keith Hunt Park in as many attempts, the Ibis hit back with a goal of their own two minutes after Smith’s second score, with Adam Rankin scoring his first goal of the year for the students – Lee Oliver.


Redcliffe Leagues 3 (Nick Budd, James McAlpine, Shane Kenny) defeated Valley 2 (Andrew McGuckin, Duncan Stewart) at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

Valley again proved to be a thorn in the side of Redcliffe Leagues, making the baysiders work overtime to secure victory on their home turf.  Like their previous clash where Valley came from two goals down to draw against the Redmen, the Diehards again overturned a two-goal deficit to level the scores against the competition leaders.  Redcliffe Leagues led 2-0 after a quarter of an hour, through goals to Nick Budd and James McAlpine from penalty corners.  Valley hit back ten minutes later when Andrew McGuckin scored one of the easiest goals of his career, a close range backstick tap-in with the goal unattended.  A series of fine saves from goalkeeper David Watts kept Valley in the hunt for an upset, denying McAlpine’s drag flick from a penalty corner and then stopping a sharp shot from Ian Schulz.  Valley, who had looked dangerous from numerous breakaways but couldn’t convert, drew level when Duncan Stewart flicked the ball into the net after McGuckin’s deflection from a Cameron Dunning pass had been saved.  Valley’s joy was short lived with Shane Kenny shooting into goal after Alex Swann’s original shot was saved.  The result has Redcliffe Leagues a chance to become just the second team since 1997 to concede less than 20 goals in a season – Lee Oliver.


POINTS:

Redcliffe Leagues 43, Commercial 38, Labrador 29, Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 25, Bulimba 25, Easts 23, Valley 17, University of Queensland 16, United 14, QUT 0.


LEADING GOAL SCORERS:

26  -  Adam McClelland (United)
21  -  Cale Cramer (Commercial)
20  -  Chris Beale (Commercial)
18  -  Mark Harris (Labrador)
15  -  Shane Kenny (Redcliffe Leagues)
14  -  Jarrod Black (Easts)
11  -  Dale Gohdes (Easts)
      -  Andrew Newman (Redcliffe Leagues)
10  -  Brent Garske (Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths)
      -  David Halliday (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Kye Hawgood (Commercial)
      -  James McAlpine (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Craig Smith (Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths)
      -  Jacob Whetton (Easts)

Bulimba's Kyle Richardson ready to make his move on University's David Nicklin.

University's Hamish Baron sees off a challenge from Bulimba young gun Mitchell Grant.

Bulimba's Duncan Mahony keeps University tackler David James at bay.

Compiled by Lee Oliver.