Heat too hot for Mareeba
The Heat are on track for the next stage of the FFA Cup after a 4-1 win over Mareeba but coach Tim Campbell is nursing a number of injuries after the bruising encounter. Goalscorer Kasper Holmbech and Scott Sargent both had to be substituted early in the second half, but in good news Jamie Carroll returned to the park and played the full 90 minutes on Thursday night.
THE Heat are on track for the next stage of the FFA Cup after a 4-1 win over Mareeba but coach Tim Campbell is nursing a number of injuries after the bruising encounter.
Goalscorer Kasper Holmbech and Scott Sargent both had to be substituted early in the second half, but in good news Jamie Carroll returned to the park and played the full 90 minutes on Thursday night
Heat midfielder Holmbech gained a rare start and made it count, scoring in the sixth minute to give his side the ascendancy and shock the home crowd.
Jamie Carroll added two in the space of eight minutes midway through the half and the 3-0 scoreline was an ominous sign at halftime.
But Mareeba showed some fight in the second half and looked like mounting a charge to the cheers of the raucous home crowd after receiving a penalty, which David Ruiz slotted in the 57th minute.
The joy was short-lived as seven minutes later Bulls cap- tain Robert Pendenza received a straight red card after diving in and tagging Jack Glover in a contest for the ball.
Mareeba Bulls coach Alex Srhoj said he was proud of the team for showing some character to not let the game get out of hand in the second half.
“A few of the guys there I think let the occasion get to them. We always thought that was going to be a bit of the case and look once we had nothing to lose actually played our football,” he said.
“I can’t say too much about the decisions and some events during the game.
“If that’s a red (card) then half the challenges are reds.”
FNQ Heat coach Tim Campbell said it wasn’t pretty but it was “job done”. “At times I think we did some pretty good stuff. Mareeba did well. They certainly looked very effective on the break and I think we pushed on a little bit,” he said,
“We lost a bit of discipline and gave them a bit of space to move in.
“I warned the boys about keeping your discipline, the atmosphere will be great and I said I thought discipline would come into the game and it obviously did with a rash challenge that wasn’t very nice and changed the game a bit.
“I thought Mareeba were coming into it there, getting confident and the lad makes a bad judgment I think and lets the team down.
“You could actually see the shoulders drop when he got sent off.”
The Heat will play the winner of a match involving inform NPL Queensland side Northern Fury and the winner of Townsville clubs Rebels Gunners and MA Olympic.