Redlands and Brisbane City FC
It was Friday Football at Compass Grounds in Cleveland when the Red Devils played host to Brisbane City FC in Round 20 of the Men’s NPL competition. Both teams looking to take maximum competition points from the game.
Beautiful August weather greeted the teams at the Cleveland Grounds as both sides looked for maximum points out of the game.
Straight from the kick off City applied constant pressure on the Red Devils. However the organized Red Devils defense stood firm but could not gain control of the ball in the early stages. Redlands Keeper Ryan Govan was called into action early making a diving save to deny a well driven shot.
From that moment Redlands started to settle into the game. With 11 minutes gone Redlands were 1st on the scoreboard when Peter Klaassen finished off some great work from Ryo Emoto who managed to win the ball back from a City defender and slide a deft pass into the box where Klaassen fired in a shot from a tight angle that beat the keeper with sheer power.
The goal boosted the Red Devils’ confidence and had the better of the half with Klaassen, Jack Skinner, Deane Alterio and Angus Broderick all putting in shots that all troubled the City Keeper.
With 33 minutes gone Klaassen who was back helping out his defense, picked up the ball midway in his own half and ran it up-field beating defenders with strength and speed and crossed the ball where Emoto meet it at full pace at the far post only to see it glance over the crossbar.
It was a tough, tight 1st half of football with both sides not giving an inch with Redlands going into the break leading 1-0.
The 2nd stanza started in much the same way as the 1st, City applying immense pressure on the ball carrier for and Redlands not being able to gain much control of the ball.
With 57 minutes gone a long throw in the Redlands half enabled Alterio to round his defender and set off downfield. He then slid a deft pass into the near post where Emoto met it and turned it into the net for the Red Devils 2nd goal.
Redlands continued to create goal scoring opportunities and City continued to pressure the ball carrier hard and push forward looking to get back into the game. With 70 minutes gone a long ball out of defense caught the Red Devils off guard. The ball was squared into the box to find an unmarked player who calmly scored for City reducing the deficit to 2-1.
Controversy erupted on 76minutes when after a City corner and a compacted goal mouth, the linesman and referee eventually ruled that the ball had crossed the line for a City goal, even though Govan looked to have it covered on the ground despite City’s claim for a goal and Redlands claims against.
Both sides continued to push for a winner for the remainder of the game but come full time the score line remained locked at 2-2.
Redlands’ Fiction Bar and Restaurant, Man of the Match was awarded to our hard working goal scorer our No. 9 Peter Klaassen.
Redlands last NPL home game for season 2023 is on this Sunday 20 August, against the Brisbane Roar at Compass Grounds in the Round 21 NPL Men’s fixture kicking off at 4.00pm with the Under 23’s at 1.45pm.
