QUT's Simon Ford makes a tackle on Bulimba's Dean Butler.

Bulimba forward Liam Brown wedged between QUT's Mark Agnew and Ashley Burns.

QUT goalkeeper Anders Kinsella shuts down Dean Butler's shot.

QUT's Shaun Lu shadows Bulimba midfielder Duncan Mahony.

BRISBANE HOCKEY LEAGUE - ROUND 8

Redcliffe Leagues 3 (James McAlpine 2, Nick Budd) defeated United 2 (Adam McClelland, Belema Dede) at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

Redcliffe Leagues held off a late charge from United in a sometimes fiery match to maintain a share of the competition lead with Commercial.  James McAlpine scored first for Redcliffe Leagues from a strong penalty corner push in the 18th minute. After Redcliffe Leagues goalkeeper Daniel Pink tipped Matt Freeman’s shot over the crossbar, McAlpine gave the home side a 2-0 halftime lead with another penalty corner score three minutes out from the break.  The midfielder had a hand in his side’s third goal soon after the interval, as Nick Budd powered in a shot after McAlpine’s initial flick had bounced off United goalkeeper Mark Limbrick.  At the venue where they sprang a surprise 4-2 victory in their last meeting, United’s valiant fightback began when Belema Dede pushed in the ball from Freeman’s backstick pass. Ten minutes later United’s main goal getter Adam McClelland scored for the fifth straight match, before both goalkeepers stood up to be counted.  First Limbrik slid to smother Ian Schulz’s shot following a breakaway, before Pink diffused a dangerous one-on-one situation with United’s new signing David Carlson.

- Lee Oliver

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

University suffered their second defeat at the death in as many weeks, with a goal from a penalty stroke in the final minute giving Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths a heart stopping 1-0 win.  The Saints enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, before University began to apply the pressure.  For 20 minutes the students peppered their opposition’s defence with Greg Collins having the best chance of the first half, sending a tomahawk into the post. The game opened up in the second period, as both sides pushed for the win.  Having eliminated University goalkeeper Adam Dinsdale, Saints looked certain to score, but shots from strikers Ryan Kilpatrick and Mitchell Bolton were saved on the line by Joel Cuming. When a shot from Saints’ Craig Smith hit the post, the match appeared headed for a scoreless draw.  However, in a dramatic finale Saints were awarded a stroke, following a foul on Craig Richards.  Under enormous pressure Smith broke the deadlock with ten seconds remaining to give his side consecutive victories for the first time this season.

- Nicholas Bolton

Bulimba 4 (Liam Brown 3, Dean Butler) defeated QUT 1 (Ashley Burns) at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

QUT produced one of the finest efforts in recent memory despite being soundly beaten by a sometimes pedestrian Bulimba outfit.  Squaring off against the side that had humiliated them 15-0 in their last meeting, a repeat score looked on the cards as Bulls striker Liam Brown opened the scoring after just two minutes.  Brown added a second goal in the 13th minute, before the Ibis attack started to make their own inroads into the Bulls defence.  Trailing 2-0 at halftime, QUT did well to prevent a second half collapse similar to the one that saw them concede six goals after the break in their previous match against Labrador.  Despite fullback Chris Rawlings leading his team from the front with a spirited display, Brown had his hat-trick soon after halftime when he volleyed in a shot after goalkeeper Anders Kinsella saved well from a penalty corner.  The goal was Brown’s eighth from his past three games against QUT.  Ash Burns gave the Ibis a glimmer of hope when he scored from out wide with 10 minutes left, but Dean Butler weaved through the QUT defence to score and seal the Bulls’ win.

- Lee Oliver

Commercial 4 (Chris Beale 2, Adam Barry 2) defeated Labrador 2 (Mark Harris, Craig Bigham) at Keith Hunt Park, Labrador.

Goals from set plays were the order of the day as the visiting Commercial Cobras doubled up on the score of their hosts Labrador at the Gold Coast.  The match turned into a shootout from the top of the goal circle, with all but one of the six goals in the contest coming from penalty corner plays.  The Cobras, who snatched a 4-4 draw with Labrador with goal from an Adam Barry penalty stroke after the fulltime siren during their last trip south, were again pushed hard by the Tigerstix.  In a quality game despite being played in the rain Commercial led 2-1 after 22 minutes, with two goals to the Cobras’ Chris Beale up against one goal to Labrador’s Mark Harris.  Barry had flashbacks to his last match at Keith Hunt Park when he scored from a penalty stroke on the stroke of halftime to give his side a 3-1 lead.  The Cobras fullback scored again ten minutes after the break but, unlike the rain, the scoring dried up until Craig Bigham beat standout Commercial goalkeeper David Reid with another penalty corner goal late in the contest.

- Lee Oliver

Easts 2 (Jacob Webber, Brad Mathers) defeated Valley 1 (Tobias Figura) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Easts bounced back from a last-start loss to pip Valley in a close contest and maintain its place in the top five approaching the halfway mark of the regular season.  Goal posts at both ends of the field played their part in keeping the match scoreless for almost an hour, with no fewer than half a dozen shots striking the woodwork to deny both sides goals.  After Valley goalkeeper David Watts denied Easts further scoring chances, Tigers forward Jacob Webber, recently back from a playing stint in Ireland, broke the deadlock in the 57th minute with a drag flick from a penalty corner.  A tap-in from Brad Mathers five minutes later saw Easts take a handy two-goal lead, before Valley’s comeback began.  With two minutes left to play Tobias Figura scored for Valley with a tomahawk shot, before his side went hunting for the equalising score.  The Diehards, who this season have scored last-minute goals to snatch draws against Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths and Redcliffe Leagues, looked set to repeat another miraculous comeback. But they couldn’t convert a scoring chance with 30 seconds left, as the ball drifted just wide of the post.

- Lee Oliver

POINTS:

Commercial 22, Redcliffe Leagues 22, Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 14, Bulimba 13, Easts 12, Labrador 11, University of Queensland 9, United 7, Valley 5, QUT 0.

LEADING GOAL SCORERS:

12  -  Shane Kenny (Redcliffe Leagues)
11  -  Adam McClelland (United)
10  -  Chris Beale (Commercial)
  9  -  Mark Harris (Labrador)
  8  -  Cale Cramer (Commercial)
      -  David Halliday (Redcliffe Leagues)
  7  -  Dale Gohdes (Easts)
      -  Kye Hawgood (Commercial)
  6  -  Wayne Barry (Commercial)
      -  Craig Bigham (Labrador)
      -  Jarrod Black (Easts)
      -  Andrew Newman (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Luke Paine (Bulimba)

Redcliffe Leagues defender Matthew Curran tackles United halfback Ryan Schulte.

United's Belema Dede pushes the ball past Redcliffe Leagues' Shane Kenny.

Redcliffe Leagues players prepare to defend a United penalty corner.

Redcliffe Leagues' Nick Budd bumps into United's Miebaka Dede.

Compiled by Lee Oliver.