Olympic, Brothers kick their way clear
MA Olympic and Brothers have put some breathing space between their rivals for the North Queensland Premier League premiership after putting on goal scoring clinics in their respective top four encounters on Saturday.
Cade Colquhoun scored a brace in Olympics’s 4- 0 shutout of Rebels FC, while ladder leaders Brothers maintained a two- point gap over Olympic by beating Warriors 4- 1.
Olympic coach Michael Brooks said their aim was to claim top spot at the end of the regular season, and the three points was crucial to keep the pressure on Brothers.
“You can’t afford to drop any points at the moment with how close it is,” he said. “From a football point of view, finishing on top in the regular season is the pinnacle, don’t let anyone tell you anything otherwise.
“A grand final is great but football is all about the premiership.”
Brooks said the reduction of the league to six teams this season had ensured every match is a contest, which should help players graduate to higher honours.
“With the ( Northern) Fury being the next step up, they want a pool of players that are high quality and unfortunately when a game one week is really tough and the next week you’re beating someone seven or eight- nil, it’s hard to get the consistency you need for the next level,” he said.
“It’s made every game tough.”
MA Olympic FC 4 ( C Colquhoun 2, S Blackburn, S Dymock) Rebels FC 0; Burdekin FC 0, Saints Eagles Souths FC 2 ( C Hume 2); Brothers FC 4 ( Shannon Mason 2, Anthony Roulston, Michael Peterson), Townsville Warriors FC 1 ( A Sheen).
MA Olympic 0, Ingham Wolves FC 4; Northern Fury FC 3, Burdekin FC 0 ( Forfeit). Sunday results not provided