Football Matters with Cyclops

Riley Granshaw continued his good form on the weekend. Photo supplied.

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Not a good weekend for the Panthers. They played five games, winning two and losing three The Premiers and Reserves were away to top team Brothers on Saturday with the Premiers losing 0-1 and the Reserves losing 1-2. The Division 1 and Division 2 teams were away on Friday night to Riverway JCU with the Division 1 losing 2-5. However, the Division 2 Funkies won 5-2. The Colts away to Saints Eagles Souths won 3-0.

This week, only two teams are in action. On Saturday the Premiers and Reserves are at home to Riverway JCU, kicking off at 7.00 and 5.00. The Division 1, Division 2 and Colts teams all have Byes.

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Premiers – Ayr Anzac Club

A clash with Brothers is always a tough contest, and this meeting was no different as both sides started brightly, creating a handful of half chances without finding the breakthrough. As the first half progressed, Burdekin began to take control of possession and dictate the tempo of the game. Despite enjoying most of the ball and building promising attacks, the Panthers couldn’t convert their dominance into goals, with the teams heading into the break locked at 0–0.

Brothers struck early in the second half to take a 1–0 lead before adopting a deep defensive shape and inviting pressure. Burdekin responded well, continuing to attack and control possession, but found it difficult to break down a disciplined defensive line. The contest became more open in the closing stages after both sides had a player sent to the sin bin, followed by a red card for each team. Despite the extra space, the Panthers were unable to find an equaliser as Brothers held on to claim a 1–0 victory. While the result was disappointing, Burdekin’s control of possession and willingness to keep attacking provided positives to take into the next fixture.

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Reserves – Burdekin Tyre Service

The Under 23's travelled to Hi-Vista for a top of the table clash. A very tight game with all the scoring happening in the first half. A Panthers defensive error was punished by Brothers early on. Burdekin then proceeded to control the game for the next 25-30 minutes with Jonte Grazioli finishing off some good play to level the scores. Brothers then capitalised on another defensive slip up to lead at half time 2-1. Despite a huge effort and a saved penalty, Burdekin couldn't find the equaliser. A massive shoutout to the Burdekin players who stepped up in a weekend of depleted numbers.

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Division 1 – Austral Masonry

The 1st Division faced a mighty challenge against Riverway JCU with nine 2nd Division players backing up for this match. Riverway took an early lead before the Panthers settled into the match and equalised through the ever-reliable Riley Granshaw with a great finish, before Henry Fallon got on the scoresheet and Burdekin were leading 2-1. Riverway equalised just before halftime and 2-2 was a fair indication of the first half.

The second half couldn’t have been worse for the Burdekin, conceding an own goal before a red card and players starting to tire all over the park. Riverway added two more goals later in the match and secured a comfortable 5-2 victory. The match could have been very different for Burdekin had it not been for the own goal and red card, both heavily impacting on the game. Huge thanks to the nine 2nd division boys for backing up in this fixture.

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Division 2 – RG Customs

The 2nd Division Funkies had a relatively easy 5-2 win against Riverway JCU on Friday night. Chris Achille opened the scoring immediately with his first touch of the ball before Nicholas Cathcart made it 2-0 very soon afterwards Krishneel Singh then made it 3-0 and the Funkies were very much in control of the game. To Riverway’s credit they did have possession and threatened the Burdekin goal on several occasions throughout the first half.

Jared Giardina made it 4-0 after half time before Burdekin well and truly fell asleep and gifted Riverway two quick goals to set up a tense end to the match. However, Krishneel scored his second goal and secured the 5-2 win for the Funkies. Burdekin stay in 5th place and face a tough fight over the next couple of weeks for that 4th place and hopefully finals to end their season.

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Colts – Astute Finance

The Colts played Saints Eagles Souths on Friday night. The match started positively, with Burdekin moving the ball well and creating opportunities, working to break down the opposition. Despite generating several chances ,the Colts were unable to find the back of the net. Matters became more challenging when they we were reduced to 10 men, but the Colts showed great resilience and held firm to keep the score locked at 0-0 heading into half-time.

The second half saw Burdekin come out with renewed hunger and determination, dominating the midfield battle. Jhett Jones collected the ball deep in his own half, beat his defender, and unleashed a superb strike from approximately 25 yards out that found the top left corner. The goal gave the team the spark it needed, and the Colts lifted another gear. Ryley Siandri then added Burdekin’s second goal before Jones grabbed his second of the match to seal an impressive 3-0 victory.

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Juniors

It was a full weekend of junior soccer, with Honeycombes Park buzzing on Saturday for another round of local fixtures. Players enjoyed some great competition, with plenty of effort and determination on display across all age groups. The action continued onSunday, with four Burdekin teams travelling to Townsville to compete in the Wulguru United FC Carnival. It was a fantastic opportunity for local players to experience carnival football, meet new opponents and enjoy a fun day with their teammates. A big thank you to all our coaches, managers, volunteers and families who continue to support our junior players each week.

The Under13 Panthers played two matches against Warriors this weekend. In the opening match, the team fought hard from start to finish but narrowly went down 2–1 after a strong effort. The second game saw the Panthers come out with plenty of energy securing a well-deserved 4–2 win

The Under15 BFC Panthers played Wulguru at home on Saturday. It was a very tough first half with it mostly being played in the opposition half. The visitors took the lead in the 26th minute from a penalty. However, the Panthers lifted and levelled the score in the 39th minute with a "bend it like Beckham" shot from Emmanuel Mio. Panthers went in to the halftime break at 1-1. The second half saw the young Panthers dig deep scoring another four goals. Linc Innes scored twice and Annan Power scored an absolute banger from outside the penalty area which left the goalie just scratching his head. Emmanuel Mio added a second goal himself just before full time. All goals scored in the second half were just magnificent! The Panthers finished the match with a 5-1 win and keeps them firmly in first place.

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Quote the of the Week is from ex-Wimbledon Manager Bobby Gould “We’re aggressive and competitive, but we can’t all be Desert Orchids and loved by everyone”.

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