HEAT INTO FFA CUP FINAL 32
FNQ Heat will get their shot at FFA Cup Round of 32 redemption after waltzing past Mackay and everything is crossed for a friendly draw later this month.
There is the potential for ALeague opposition with coverage on Fox Sports and the lure of the national stage, although it has proven too tough for the Heat in the three-year history of the competition.
But there’s no doubts over their goalscoring form going into the next stage after a 6-1 win over the Magpies to qualify for the elite stage.
The first 10 minutes suggested it could be a close one between the regional rivals at Endeavour Park on Saturday night but from then on it was all the Heat, who led 3-0 by halftime.
A second goal to Chris Sullivan two minutes into the second half killed the contest, although Mackay got one back only for the home side to respond with two goals in two minutes.
FNQ Heat coach Tim Campbell said the win ticked one box for 2017.
“That’s one of them ticked off. We just want a good draw now,” he said.
“If we can get a home draw again, but we’d like an ALeague club. Obviously that would be great for the club to bring some money in.”
Campbell said the game against Magpies, who will join the NPL in 2018, went according to plan after the Heat weathered some early pressure.
“Credit to the Magpies, I think the first 10, 15 minutes they played some good football,” he said.
“They looked as if they played some good one-touch stuff and I did warn our boys I reckoned the first 20 minutes would be crucial and if we could hold on and see the game settle and let the space develop a bit we would come into our own and the game plan went quite well on that accord.
“When we did score, we looked like a good team and I think we played one of our best periods of football maybe 20 to 25 minutes out.
“After we went in at half time, we spoke about how the Magpies will come at us the next 10 minutes, we really need to score and not let them score and that went according to plan.
“We scored straight away and you saw them dip a bit and I think from then it was really game over.”
Campbell said now the players had shown they could score goals with 12 in the past two matches, albeit against less organised opposition, defence would be the focus against Brisbane Strikers when the NPL resumes next weekend.
“With all due respect to the Fury and the Magpies, Strikers are a different kettle of fish. We really will have to be on our mark for that,” he said.