Andrew Campbell from Easts challenged by Nick Budd from Redcliffe Leagues.

Redcliffe Leagues' James McAlpine beats an outstretched Michael Bates.

Redcliffe Leagues goalkeeper Daniel Pink confronts Easts striker Jacob Whetton.

Ian Schulz on the run that led to Redcliffe Leagues' first goal of the match.

BRISBANE HOCKEY LEAGUE – Round 10


Redcliffe Leagues 4 (Ian Schulz, Andrew Newman, Nick Budd, David Halliday) defeated Easts 3 (Michael Bates, Jake Farrell, Jacob Webber) at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

Second-placed Redcliffe Leagues has opened up a four-point gap on the chasing pack of teams after holding off a late charge from Easts.  The visiting team raced out of the blocks, with Michael Bates taking a long pass from defender Matthew Pembroke to score within two minutes. Redcliffe Leagues enjoyed the better of field position for the rest of the first half, with David Halliday, Ian Schulz and Andrew Newman having shots blocked or saved within a five-minute period.  The Peninsula side was finally rewarded when Schulz expertly finished off a burst through centre field to score five minutes before the break.  Two minutes later Redcliffe Leagues was in again, with Newman rounding Easts goalkeeper Casey Lee and firing in a neat backstick shot after a costly turnover from Tigers fullback Dale Gohdes.  Although Redcliffe Leagues went to a 3-1 lead through a Nick Budd goal midway through second half, Easts scored the next two goals with three minutes, to Jake Farrell and Jacob Webber, to tie the game. However, the Tigers’ good work was undone soon after when Halliday, Redcliffe Leagues’ leading scorer, flick the ball into goal from close range to post his side’s winning goal – Lee Oliver.


Pine Rivers St Andrews 7 (Ryan Kilpatrick 3, Dylan Elliott 2, Craig Smith, Triston Parker) defeated United 2 (Belema Dede, Jacob Jennison) at Mary Nairn Fields, Redcliffe.

Pine Rivers St Andrews recorded their biggest win of the season, while inflicting United’s heaviest defeat of the year.  Looking to back-up their five-goal effort against University the week before, the Saints’ attack clicked into gear from the opening whistle, with striker Ryan Kilpatrick shaving the post inside 40 seconds.  Minutes later Saints turned defence into attack, as a United penalty corner finished in a Kilpatrick goal.  United then manufactured a counter attack of their own, allowing striker Belema Dede to level the scores.  Within seconds Saints were back in front, with Kilpatrick grabbing a second after United’s defence was caught napping from the hit-off.  The joint venture asked some questions of their opponent’s defence prior to half-time, but when Saints’ midfielder Dylan Elliott scored after the break, United were the ones feeling the pinch.  United’s Jacob Jennison goaled, but at the other end their defensive resistance had finally been broken, as Saints asserted their dominance with goals to Elliott and Craig Smith.  Kilpatrick then collected his hat-trick, before a first top-grade goal to Triston Parker after the siren completed the rout.  The loss is United’s fifth straight against the Saints – Nicholas Bolton.


Commercial 4 (Cale Cramer 2, Chris Beale, Kye Hawgood) defeated Valley 2 (Kane Posselt, Tobias Figura) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Commercial extended their winning streak to 18 matches after overcoming an inspired Valley side intent on taking another large scalp a week after beating Bulimba. After six minutes Valley’s Kane Posselt smashed in a penalty corner set-play, before Valley wasted a great chance to double their advantage seconds later when Chris Ahearn fed the ball to Tobias Figura, who skyed the ball just wide of the net. Commercial’s Chris Beale equalised when he calmly slotted a penalty corner into the top-right-hand corner of Valley’s goal before Figura took matters into his own hands. Five minutes from half-time, he produced a great solo goal after cutting through the heart of Commercial’s defence before firing truly past Cobras goalkeeper David Reid. Commercial responded with goals in the dying minutes of the first half, through Kye Hawgood and Cale Cramer, who finished Blair Brown’s pinpoint cross. The second half proved to be a war of attrition, with Cramer’s rebounded goal from a great David Watts save the only thing keeping the scorekeepers busy. Valley had the chance to claw their way back into the game but they couldn’t beat a resilient Commercial defence that has conceded a paltry average of 1.8 goals per game in 2010 – Michael Spring.


Labrador 5 (Joe Reardon 3, Dean Murphy, Peter Kelly) defeated QUT 0 at the Clem Jones Sports Centre, Carina.

Labrador convincingly beat QUT with a hat-trick of goals going to striker Joe Reardon.  QUT were kept busy with their defence being tested the whole match, with goalkeeper Blair Burden performing brilliantly and making some remarkable saves. The students, who historically have scored well against Labrador, were unable to breach their opposition’s defence. Dean Murphy scored the first goal of the match for the Tigerstix after 29 minutes of play with a field goal.  Then the reign of Reardon began, scoring three consecutive field goals in 19 minutes. Reardon’s first goal saw him get behind the QUT defence with only Burden in front of the goal, before lobbing the ball over the goalkeeper’s head as he rushed out of the goal box. The match saw no less then 16 penalty corners awarded to Labrador with not one goal being scored from their set plays. Peter Kelly scored the final goal in the 60th minute against a QUT side that failed to score a goal against the Tigerstix for the first time in eight matches. On the flipside, Reardon’s hat-trick was his best haul of goals in a first-grade match since he scored six times for Bulimba against Pine Rivers St Andrews in 2006 – Andrew Beard.


Bulimba 2 (Liam Brown, Allan Dale) defeated University of Queensland 1 (Greg Collins) at the State Hockey Centre, Colmslie.

Bulimba narrowly edged out a University side that has pushed higher-fancied opponents Pine Rivers St Andrews and Redcliffe Leagues all the way in recent weeks. University had the first clear-cut chance through Timbi Poon but he couldn’t capitalise. Bulimba made the students pay when Liam Brown pounced on a poor touch by a University defender, before hitting the ball into goal from an extremely acute angle. University made good field position but continually broke down in their attacking third and struggled to deal with the Bulls’ long-ball counter attack game. The result was a goal to Allan Dale in the 22nd minute and three consecutive penalty corners before half-time. University were able to stop a third goal being conceded and went into the second-half with a renewed vigour. Despite University’s Hamish Baron being given a yellow card for a poorly timed tackle, his side remained resolute. They looked more likely to score too, and did so when the elusive Greg Collins weaved into the circle before hitting a lucky shot between a stunned Bulimba defence. University had a penalty corner five minutes from the buzzer but couldn’t deliver the equaliser despite the continued encouragement from the energetic crowd – Michael Spring.


POINTS: Commercial 30, Redcliffe Leagues 25, Easts 21, Pine Rivers St Andrews 16, Bulimba 16, Labrador 15, University of Queensland 10, United 9, Valley 6, QUT 0.


LEADING GOAL SCORERS:

15  -  Jacob Webber (Easts)
14  -  Adam McClelland (United)
12  -  Michael Bates (Easts)
      -  Blair Brown (Commercial)
11  -  Jacob Burns (University of Queensland)
      -  Jacob Whetton (Easts)
10  -  David Halliday (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Mark Harris (Labrador)
  9  -  Cale Cramer (Commercial)
  8  -  Nick Budd (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Ryan Kilpatrick (Pine Rivers St Andrews)
      -  Joe Reardon (Labrador)
  7  -  Chris Beale (Commercial)
  6  -  Daniel Beale (Commercial)
      -  Jacob Jennison (United)
      -  James McAlpine (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Ian Schulz (Redcliffe Leagues)
      -  Craig Smith (Pine Rivers St Andrews)


BRISBANE HOCKEY LEAGUE TRIVIA:

31.  Which two brothers have played 720 first-grade games for Redcliffe Leagues between them?  Kent Harle (380 games) and Jordan Harle (340 games).

32. Who are the only winners of the BHA Best and Fairest Medal still playing in the Division 1 competition?  Todd Watson (Easts, winner in 2004) and Nick Budd (Redcliffe Leagues, winner in 2009).

33.  Which are the only two clubs to win the senior men and junior boys Club Championships in the same year?  Bulimba (1999) and Pine Rivers St Andrews-Norths (2008).

34.  Which was the last team to miss the Division 1 finals after winning the Presidents Trophy earlier in the year?  Redcliffe, in 1986.

35.  Which was the last team to lose three straight Division 1 grand finals?  Redcliffe (1998-2000).

Craig Richards (Pine Rivers St Andrews) and Jacob Jennison (United).

United's Josh Wales gets a pass away as Pine Rivers St Andrews' Craig Smith moves in.

United's Jacob Jennison tied up with Saints goalkeeper Nathan Panetta.

United goal scorer Belema Dede takes the ball from Saints defender Nick Bolton.

Compiled by Lee Oliver.

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