Easts' Tim Bates pursued by University goal scorer David James.

University striker Greg Collins rounds Easts goalkeeper Bryce Ottaway.

Easts rookie Matthew Pembroke hangs his head as jubilant University players celebrate
Greg Collins' match-winning goal.

BRISBANE HOCKEY LEAGUE - ROUND 3

University of Queensland 4 (David James, Damien Queisser, Ashley Hennegan, Greg Collins) defeated Easts 3 (Michael Bates, Matt Gohdes, Treva Mills) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Jubilant University supporters are still wracking their brains to recall the last time their side had beaten Easts, after the perennial cellar dwellers came from behind three times to topple the regular high flyers.  Michael Bates, one of four Queensland players returning for Easts, opened the scoring before David James’ clinical finish from Hamish Baron’s free hit tied the game after 15 minutes.  Soon after halftime Tigers rookie Andrew Campbell disposessed University defender Ashley Hennegan in centre field before Matt Gohdes finished the breakaway movement, but four minutes later Damien Queisser deflected in Hennegan’s penalty corner shot to make the score 2-2.  The pendulum swung Easts’ way again with a Treva Mills tap-in finishing off a slick, long range passing movement by Gohdes and Bates.  But the tenacious students tied the game again when Hennegan scored, before Greg Collins became the hero for his side.  After earlier shooting wide of the net after beating Easts goalkeeper Bryce Ottaway in a one-on-one contest, Collins’ backstick shot into goal with 12 minutes left gave University its boilover win, believed to be the first against Easts in more than 20 years.

- Lee Oliver

Commercial 6 (Cale Cramer 3, Daniel Beale 2, Kye Hawgood) defeated Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 0 at Burringbar Park, Chermside.

Commercial showed why they are the reigning three-time premiers by dismantling the previously unbeaten Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths side by six goals. After helping Queensland make the final of the Australian Hockey League the previous weekend, Cale Cramer scored a hat-trick of goals for the Cobras. Cramer opened the scoring in the 11th minute from a penalty corner strike and soon after had his second before half time, finishing off a sharp attacking raid.  Saints sensed a chance to reply minutes later with Commercial’s Matt Lagerroth carded for a bad tackle, but the Cobras held firm.  The second half began as the first did, with both sides starting confidently, though it wasn’t long before Commercial sealed the result. Two field goals to Daniel Beale and one to Kye Hawgood blew the score line out to 5-0. Tensions then erupted as the teams clashed in a fiery confrontation, which left the Saints with nine men, allowing Cramer to complete his hat trick.  The heavy defeat is a timely reminder for the Saints as to what is required if they are to challenge for a finals position this season.

- Nick Bolton

United 2 (Ryan Schulte, Miebaka Dede) drew with Labrador 2 (Joe Reardon, Mark Harris) at Burringbar Park, Chermside.

An ill-disciplined United held off a fast finishing Labrador in a spiteful Saturday night out at Burringbar Park.  United started strong with a goal in the eighth minute by Ryan Schulte, followed by a goal from Miebaka Dede in the 43rd minute.  Labrador failed to score until the final 20 minutes of the match when Joe Reardon scored for the Thunderstix, who were searching for their fifth straight win at the Chermside venue.  Accredited to keeping Labrador scoreless for so long was a brilliant goal keeping performance by United goalkeeper Mark Limbrick.  Dede, alongside United teammates Dane Robinson, Kula Bhullar and Adam McClelland and Labrador’s Mark Harris found themselves out of the game with yellow cards.  Both Labrador and United acknowledged the unusually high abundance of send offs during this game and the angst against umpires was not kept quiet.  Despite the controversy Harris had the last laugh by proving the saving graces for Labrador, leveling the scores with only three minutes left in a match that will have spectators and players alike looking forward to the next time the teams meet.

- Susie Hillard

Redcliffe Leagues 13 (David Halliday 6, Shane Kenny 4, Andrew Newman 2, James McAlpine) defeated QUT 0 at Burringbar Park, Chermside.

Striker David Halliday wrote his name into the record books when he scored six goals for Redcliffe Leagues in its 13-goal rout of QUT.  Halliday’s form in the shooting circle saw him equal the record for most goals for the Redmen in a Division 1 match, sharing the record with Jordan Harle, Steve Lancaster and Adam Jeffery.  Harle was the last player to achieve the feat for Redcliffe Leagues, notching his six-goal haul four years ago.  Halliday, whose most famous and important goal for his club was the golden goal extra time score which saw Redcliffe Leagues beat Easts in the 2003 grand final, only scored three top-grade goals for the peninsula club last season.  Shane Kenny doubled his goal scoring tally for the 2009 season by hitting the back of QUT’s goal net four times as Redcliffe Leagues stayed atop of the competition ladder with its third straight win.  It is the first time in two years the club has won three straight games, with their previous best winning streak being five victories in a row en route to the 2004 grand final.  The 13-0 loss was QUT’s third worst since being admitted into the Division 1 competition in 2007.

- Lee Oliver

Bulimba 2 (Jaryd Cutler, Luke Paine) defeated Valley 1 (Anthony Woodward) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

A goal from trusted scoring source Luke Paine with three minutes left to play gave Bulimba its first win of the season in a tight encounter against Valley. With the experienced trio of Duncan Mahony, Liam Brown and Mitch Baker missing, Bulimba fielded one of its most inexperienced sides in recent memory against a Diehards side coming off a horror road trip to the Gold Coast the previous round.  But that didn’t stop the Bulls taking the lead within 10 minutes.  Striker Jaryd Cutler emerged with the ball following a tussle with Valley goalkeeper David Watts and put his backstick shot into an empty goal.  One minute before halftime Valley equalised when Anthony Woodward got a faint touch on the ball from Greg Wilson’s searching long pass from outside the circle, the goal hotly disputed by Bulimba defenders.  When Valley’s Cameron Dunning received a yellow card with 11 minutes left in the match, for felling Blake Wallis in an awkward tackle, it appeared Bulimba would run over their opponents. But as was the case against Commercial in the opening match of the season, it took a late Paine penalty corner goal to get the Bulls home.

- Lee Oliver

POINTS:

Redcliffe Leagues 9, Commercial 7, University of Queensland 6, Labrador 5, United 4, Bulimba 4, Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 4, Valley 3, Easts 0, QUT 0.

LEADING GOAL SCORERS:

8  -  Shane Kenny (Redcliffe Leagues)
6  -  David Halliday (Redcliffe Leagues)
5  -  Chris Beale (Commercial)
3  -  Wayne Barry (Commercial)
    -  Daniel Beale (Commercial)
    -  Cale Cramer (Commercial)
    -  Brent Garske (Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths)
    -  Luke Paine (Bulimba)
    -  Grant Smith (Labrador)  

Commercial's three-goal hero Cale Cramer and Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths' Brent
Garske battle for the ball (Photo by John Beale).

Commercial's Daniel Beale and Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths' Craig Smith with eyes
for the ball (Photo by John Beale).

Saints defender Scott Richards tries to wrongfoot Cobras forward Daniel Biase-McInally
(Photo by John Beale).

Buimba's Jaryd Cutler and Valley's Duncan Stewart collide.

Valley's Tobias Figura leads two Bulimba players on a run upfield.

Compiled by Lee Oliver.