Gold Coast United sit top of the standings at the halfway mark of the 2023 NPL Queensland Men’s season following the completion of the weekend’s Round 11 action.
Grae Piddick’s side maintained top spot with hard-fought a 1-0 victory over Brisbane City at Coplicks Sports Park on Sunday evening.
Curtis Stollery scored the games only goal in the 62nd minute when he ghosted into the area and volleyed a Justyn McKay cross into the bottom to seal the points for the league leaders.
Gold Coast Knights, who sit just two points behind United in second ran out 2-1 winners over Rochedale at the Croatian Sports Centre on Saturday evening.
Max Brown and Bradden Inman capitalised on some lacklustre defending to put Knights two goals to the good after just 19 minutes.
Marek Madle netted his fifth goal of the season from an acute angle in the 68th minute to breath some life into the contest but the Knights defence held firm to take the points against a Rovers side who were reduced to ten men when Uryu Nagata was dismissed for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity in second half stoppage time.
The weekend’s results set up a huge derby at Coplicks in Round 12 between United and Knights who sit first and second respectively at the halfway point of the 2023 season.
Lions climbed to fourth and cut the gap between themselves and third placed Moreton Bay to just a point with a 2-1 win over the Jets at Wolter Park on Saturday evening.
A Jeremy Stewart strike had the home side in front after just two minutes but the defending Premiers responded quickly through a looping Andy Pengelly header in the 17th minute before Lions number nine netted the winner from the penalty spot four minutes later.
Pengelly’s brace leaves him with level with Jets forward Marquez Walters at the top of the scorers charts on ten goals.
Walters had the chance to rescue a point from the penalty spot for the home side in the second half but dragged his effort wide of the mark as Lions hung on for all three points.
Two goals in the final ten minutes saw Young Roar secure a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Sunshine Coast Wanderers at AJ Kelly Park on Sunday afternoon.
Matt Nezval had the visitors in front with a 17th minute finish at the back post as Paul Arnison’s side looked on course to end a five-game losing run.
Things came unstuck for the Wanderers in the 80th minute when midfielder Dyce Roberston received his marching orders after picking up his second caution of the contest.
Josh Di Marco got the finishing touch on the resulting free-kick to level the scores before Trent Millard rifled an effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the area in the 86th minute to snatch all three points for Eoghan Baker’s side.
Olympic’s survival hopes received a boost when they overturned a 2-0 deficit to defeat Eastern Suburbs 3-2 at Heath Park on Friday night.
Goals from Emilio Martinez and Diego Cuba had Matt Chandlers side up by two at the break but a Daniel Leck brace levelled the scores by the 69th minute.
Linden Farr then popped up with a stunning strike from the top of the box in the 92nd minute to win the match for Olympic, who remain bottom of the ladder but cut the gap between themselves and safety to just four points.
Redlands United and Peninsula Power played out a 0-0 draw at Compass Grounds in the weekend’s other game in a result that leaves them seventh and tenth respectively at the halfway mark.
NPL Queensland Men Round 11 Results
Eastern Suburbs 2-3 Olympic FC
Moreton Bay United 1-2 Lions FC
Gold Coast Knights 2-1 Rochedale Rovers
Redlands United 0-0 Peninsula Power
Brisbane Roar 2-1 Sunshine Coast Wanderers
Gold Coast United 1-0 Brisbane City