ANOTHER week, another heavy loss for Bundaberg Toyota Spirit in the Hyundai Queensland State League, this time going down to Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) 6-1 at Meakin Park on Sunday.
The Spirit were unlucky in a 1-0 loss to the QAS in their home clash in the third round on 11th April, but while their fortunes have plummeted since then, coach Richard Mitchell had been hopeful of regaining lost ground.
But sadly it was not to be as after competing strongly for the first 26 minutes, an all too familiar story unfolded for the win-less Spirit as they conceded three goals in the space of 11 minutes to be staring down the barrel.
QAS extended their lead five minutes into the second stanza, and while ever brave and tough warrior Laurie Stephenson pulled a goal back for Bundaberg in the 64th minute, it was negated by another Academy strike just two minutes later.
Ben Halloran went on to complete a personal hat-trick of goals and put the icing on their cake in the 82nd minute, while Erwin Buljubasic, who drew first blood and was also the first scorer in the second half, savoured a double.
A disappointed Mitchell said they “started not too bad(ly) once again’’, but he lamented their inability to firstly convert, then maintain the pressure.
“We had a few chances early on, but we were never in the game after that, and we have to put up our hand and say they were the better side,’’ Mitchell said.
“At the end of the day, it was not one of our better performances – we gave the ball away too easily – the lads worked hard but they know they can do better.
“We had two very good chances early on and if they had gone in, it would have been a different game, but their keeper done well with both of them too. If we can take a positive, in the first 25 minutes, we played some bright, good football, and next week, if we can put in a couple of those chances, we’ll be in with a chance.’’
Mitchell could not fault the endeavour of the six Youth Division players he used, Jason McEwan, who has step up to the No. 1 keeper’s job after the departure of Ben Heidenreich, John Cullen, Jack Hambrecht, gun striker Luke Leggett, Michael Coleman and Josh Metcalf.
“Luke done all right under very difficult circumstances in his first start for us and he can be pleased, in fact all the young boys can hold their heads high,’’ he said.
The Spirit have two more away games before returning home, against Capricorn Cougars and Brisbane Strikers respectively, and Mitchell is hoping that Senior players Elliot Causer and Aaron Bakker may be back for next weekend to add much needed experience to a young side which is doing it tough after now conceding 30 goals in their past six games despite continuing to train hard and play with plenty of energy and enthusiasm.
The Spirit were also beaten by the QAS in the Youth League, but their coach Steve Bates said they “had the game taken off us’’.
Mitchell Broom drew first blood for the Spirit but the hosts equalised before half-time.
“In the second half, they had a break-away and the players stopped because he was off-side by a country mile, and the keeper also allowed it to go past him, but it was allowed, and we also got one in, but the ref said that we took out the keeper and it was disallowed – 1-all would have been a fairer indication of the game,’’ Bates said.
“It’s hard to blame the ref but QAS made 10 or 11 fouls, with about six yellow cards attached, but probably a couple should have been reds.
“But with so many of our players with the Senior side and two out injured, we were pretty short on the ground and I can’t fault the effort of the boys – individually we played very, very well.’’
Bates said captain Josh Metcalf “really stood up for us in the midfield’’ before being rewarded with a place on the Senior bench.
“And so did Brendan Davis up front – he got through a power of work – Jacob Miles was solid as well, and Ben Owen played his first game this year after being injured in a pre-season match, and he played 60 minutes of good football,’’ he said.
