Bulimba's Kyle Richardson and Easts' Dale Gohdes stretch for
the ball (Photo by John Beale).

QUT goalkeeper Anders Kinsella stops Commercial attacker Daniel Beale
(Photo by John Beale).

QUT's Rohan Butterworth gets ahead of Commercial defender Leighton Stock
(Photo by John Beale).

Commercial's Chris Beale shadowed by QUT's Simon Ford (Photo by John Beale).

BRISBANE HOCKEY LEAGUE - ROUND 15


Bulimba 3 (Duncan Mahony, Liam Brown, Luke Paine) drew with Easts 3 (Jacob Webber 2, Tim Bates) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

With the finals fast approaching this game was always going to be close with Easts striving to make the top five and Bulimba fighting to stay in it. Easts looked the better team early on with Tim Bates scoring from a penalty corner just three minutes in. But Bulimba worked hard to get to one back and did so 12 minutes later when Duncan Mahony put the finishing touches on a great passage of play. After the half-time break the Tigers took the lead once again with a penalty corner deflection by Jacob Webber. However, Bulls fullback and leading goal scorer Luke Paine tied the game minutes later, sending a perfectly placed drag flick past Easts goalkeeper Casey Lee. Bulimba could have easily won the game had either one of two other Paine drag flicks not struck the upright.  With 12 minutes left Webber secured his second goal for the match but again Easts’ lead was to be short lived. Just two minutes later the Bulls came from behind to score yet again when a freakish overhead pass hit the post and bounced back into the field of play, where Liam Brown pounced to score the equaliser. The 3-3 draw marks only the fourth time in the past five years where the Bulls have not lost to the Tigers – Rebecca Kirchner.


Labrador 2 (Kyle Gildea, Mark Harris) defeated University of Queensland 0 at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Labrador moved a step closer to the finals, and ended University’s slim playoff hopes, after earning a hard-earned victory in a clash boasting plenty of scoring chances. The Tigerstix took close to an hour to get on top of the Redmen, only burying the willing students in the closing moments of the match.  Both goalkeepers were on form as both teams came close to scoring numerous times in the first half, with Labrador’s Tyrone Melrose pulling off a sharp reflex save from a Luke Emerson deflection and University’s Adam Dinsdale smothering a chance from Joe Reardon. University peppered Melrose’s pads in a frantic final five minutes of the first term, with Damien Queisser and Hamish Baron having shots denied.  After several more near misses to start the second period, mostly from Labrador, the Tigerstix opened the scoring in the 53rd minute.  Moments after University messed up a penalty corner play, Tigerstix youngster Kyle Gildea deflected in a Craig Bigham pass.  Gildea had the chance to ice the game with six minutes left, but he skied a deflection over the top of the net.  Mark Harris had the final say in the proceedings, sending a backstick shot into goal with three minutes left to finally overpower University’s brave resistance –- Lee Oliver.


Redcliffe Leagues 3 (Peter Dillon, Shane Kenny, Ian Schulz) defeated Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 2 (Andrew Richards, Craig Smith) at Burringbar Park, Chermside.

Redcliffe Leagues have one hand on the minor premiers trophy after edging out finals aspirants Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths in a thrilling encounter.  Billed as a blockbuster clash, neither side disappointed, producing a match of finals intensity in a prelude to what shapes as a mouth-watering finals series.  Redcliffe Leagues made the early running, with midfielder Peter Dillon catching out the Saints defence to score from a self-hit.  However, Saints quickly warmed to the task, and began to make inroads into the Redcliffe Leagues defence.  A penalty corner strike from Saint Andrew Richards saw scores locked up at halftime. The Saints returned from the break full of confidence and grabbed the ascendancy as they threatened to take the lead.  But against the run of play, Redcliffe Leagues striker Andrew Newman pounced on a Saints defensive error to set up a Shane Kenny goal.  Yet Saints refused to go away, replying minutes later through a Craig Smith tomahawk.  Both teams pressed for a match winner, but it was an Ian Schulz strike which landed the decisive blow for Redcliffe Leagues.  A tomahawk shot from Saints striker Justin Truscott then went perilously close, but Redcliffe Leagues survived for a gripping victory – Nicholas Bolton.


Commercial 7 (Chris Beale 5, Cale Cramer 2) defeated QUT 1 (Brenton Smalley) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Chris Beale was the name on spectators’ lips after the young striker scored five of his team’s seven goals as Commercial comfortably accounted for QUT.  Beale slotted four drag flicks from penalty corners as well as one field goal to take his season goal scoring tally to 19 and rocket up the leading scorers list. Teammate Cale Cramer is one goal further back after grabbing a double against the Ibis. The Cobras started down the road to their 11th win of the year by opening the scoring after ten minutes, extending that lead to 3-0 by halftime.  At the hour mark Cramer and Beale scored within two minutes of each other to complete the Cobras’ scoring, before QUT’s Brenton Smalley scored late in the contest.  While the defeat adds to QUT’s club record losing streak, they can take consolation from the fact it was the Ibis’s best result in their six meetings against Commercial. While conceding the least number of goals in their clashes with the defending premiers, the match was also just the second time the Ibis have scored against high-flying Cobras, who had won by an average score of 11-0 before this season – Lee Oliver.


Valley 4 (Tobias Figura 2, Braden O’Callaghan, Alecz Day) defeated United 3 (Adam McClelland 3) at Burringbar Park, Chermside.

A hat-trick of goals from the competition’s leading goal scorer Adam McClelland wasn’t enough to help United to victory against Valley, as the Diehards won a rare Sunday match.  Two goals in five minutes gave Valley a 2-0 lead at the midway point of the first half.  First Braden O’Callaghan finished off unselfish lead-up work by Lachlan Brownhalls, before Tobias Figura beat defenders as he drifted across field before expertly finishing with a backstick shot.  After being denied by a series of saves from Valley goalkeeper David Watts, McClelland scored the first of his three goals from penalty corners ten minutes out from halftime. Soon after the break Figura displayed skills to make a baseball slugger proud, slamming home a powerful rebound on the volley after his initial corner shot was saved.  When McClelland scored two goals in as many minutes midway through the second half it appeared United had done enough to secure a draw.  But from a penalty corner with six minutes left Alecz Day scored in the same manner as Figura to see Valley skip up two places on the ladder.  Despite the win Valley was unable to win the Jones-Ludwig Trophy, with United/Kedron Wavell retaining the silverware by winning three of the day’s four clashes against the Diehards – Lee Oliver.


POINTS:

Redcliffe Leagues 40, Commercial 35, Labrador 26, Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths 24, Bulimba 24, Easts 22, Valley 17, University of Queensland 15, United 14, QUT 0.


LEADING GOAL SCORERS:

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

United's Jacob Jennison squares off with Valley's Lachlan Brownhalls.

United striker Adam McClelland on the attack, chased by Valley halfback Kyle Rush.

Valley tackler Pat Gleadhill meets United's Patrick Krusi on the edge of the circle.

Valley goal scorer Braden O'Callaghan finds space in the midfield.

Compiled by Lee Oliver.