With the business end of the season fast approaching there are plenty of key match ups in the battles for the title, finals football and survival across the weekend’s NPL Queensland Men’s Round 14 action.
Third placed Moreton Bay United host league leaders Gold Coast Knights at Wolter Park in what shapes as a key match in the title race on Saturday night.
The Jets currently trail the Knights by seven points and will know they need a win on Saturday if they’re to reel in the league leaders with just eight rounds left to play after the weekend’s action.
Cameron Millar’s side come into Saturday’s match in high spirits after booking their spot in the Australia Cup Round of 32 with a midweek win over Gold Coast United while Knights will aim to continue the form that’s seen them go unbeaten in their last 12 league matches.
Second placed Gold Coast United will look to overturn a recent drop off in form when they travel to face Eastern Suburbs at Heath Park on Saturday afternoon.
Grae Piddick’s side have lost three of their last four in the league and were dumped out of the Cup on Wednesday night by Moreton Bay.
Easts will be equally desperate for the three points on Saturday afternoon with Matt Chandler’s side winless in seven in the league and currently sitting six points adrift of safety in the relegation zone.
A 97th minute Emilio Martinez penalty rescued a point for Easts after United opened the scoring in the 2nd minute through Cai Tipaldo in a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at Coplicks earlier this season.
Brisbane City and Lions do battle in the Brisbane Classico at Imperial Corp Stadium on Saturday evening in what doubles as a crucial clash in the race for finals football.
City come into Saturday’s clash in fourth position, one point ahead of fifth placed Lions who booked their spot in the Australia Cup Round of 32 with a 2-1 win over Redlands midweek.
Lions have won just once in their last six in the league with their hopes of a Premiership defence fading but will head into Saturday’s Classico with confidence having beaten City 6-3 in reverse fixture at Luxury Paints Stadium earlier this season.
Olympic and Sunshine Coast Wanderers go head-to-head in a key battle in both sides bids to avoid relegation at Goodwin Park on Friday night.
Seven points currently separate last placed Olympic and tenth placed Wanderers in safety with a win looking imperative if last year’s Grand Finalists are to avoid the drop.
Friday’s match will be Olympic’s first at home this season with Goodwin Park out of action while it underwent maintenance ahead of the Women’s World Cup.
Wanderers ran out 3-2 winners earlier this season when the two sides faced one another at Ballinger Park in Round 3.
The league’s two newly promoted sides Rochedale Rovers and Redlands United battle it out at Underwood Park on Friday night.
Both sides have made a sound start to life in Queensland’s top-flight and sit seventh and eighth on 18 points each.
Rochedale came out 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Harry Talbot and Marek Madle when the sides last went head-to-head in March.
Sixth placed Brisbane Roar and ninth placed Peninsula Power face off at AJ Kelly Park in the final match of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.
Roar start the weekend just a point outside of the competition’s top four, while Power who sit a further five points back will look to kickstart a potential late finals charge with a win on Sunday.
You can catch every minute of the weekend’s NPL Queensland Men’s Round 14 action live and free on FQTV or the Football Queensland YouTube channel.