The Football Kingz inability to score goals was compounded by the Brisbane Strikers at Ericsson Stadium on February 23, the visitors winning this National Soccer League encounter 3-0 to leave the New Zealand side perilously close to the wooden spoon for a second consecutive season.      But the scoreline doesn't even begin to tell the story of this match. Brisbane had six clear-cut scoring chances, and as well as hitting the net three times, hit the post on another occasion.      By contrast, the Kingz found former Everton goalkeeper Jason Kearton in unbeatable form - the shot-stopper produced a string of fine saves to keep the opposition scoreless for the eighth time in ten NSL matches, as they pounded away at the Strikers' goal in vain.      Sporting just two changes from the side which performed so poorly at Parramatta Power a week ago, the Kingz began brightly, forcing five corners in the first eight minutes of the match. But the closest they came to scoring in this phase was when Chris Jackson grazed the far post with a drive, following a delightful move involving Con Anthopoulos, Harry Ngata, the recalled - and impressive - Steven Turner, and Patricio Almendra.      Brisbane's first attack saw Mauro Donoso heading off the line from a Peter Grierson drive, after the visitors' captain had combined with Shane Stefanutto, Anthony Roche and Joshua Rose to engineer the opening.      The resulting ninth minute corner was fumbled by Michael Utting, and Jon McKain was on hand to lob the ball goalwards. With three defenders on the line, the Kingz should have kept the effort out, but the incoming Rose did enough to distract the trio concerned, and, somewhat bizarrely, the ball found its way over the goal-line, much to Brisbane's delight.      Incredibly, it was to be Brisbane's only raid of the entire first half, as for the rest of it, they were forced into a rearguard action by a Kingz team which had erasing the memories of the previous week's embarrassment high on their list of priorities.      The home team was watched by a decidedly subdued crowd which, while reported as 2535-strong (including season ticket-holders), was nearer the 1500 mark in reality.      They were treated to a summation of the Kingz season in ninety minutes - plenty of vibrant approach play which was marred by an inability to convert chances into goals, and, at the other end of the park, a defensive unit which, on the rare occasions Brisbane threatened as an attacking force, took on jelly-like properties - decidedly shaky at best!      They were also treated to some outstanding goalkeeping, as Kearton, who was understudy to Welsh goalkeeping legend Neville Southall while at Goodison Park, kept his side in contention with fine saves aplenty.      Luck favoured Brisbane in the thirteenth minute, when Andy Vlahos and Ngata combined to release the overlapping Mauro Donoso, whose cross for Almendra was steered past his own post to safety by the retreating Wayne Heath.      Ten minutes later, the Jason Kearton show began. Jonathan Perry and Steven Turner teamed up, the latter then switching play to Vlahos on the left. His low cross found Almendra just inside the penalty area, and the Chilean's fine turn and shot was matched by the quality of Kearton's parried denial.      Brisbane scrambled clear, but only as far as Jackson, who played the ball into Vlahos just inside the penalty area. The chunky wide-man found Raf de Gregorio in support, and the midfielder let fly from twenty yards, only for Kearton to turn this effort over the crossbar.      The 'keeper was untroubled by a Ngata effort in the 25th minute, then palmed a Vlahos cross intended for Almendra off the striker's head four minutes later, as the Kingz continued to pound away in search of an equaliser.      But there was no way past Kearton. In the 34th minute, he produced a stunning save low to his right to deny Almendra, after Ngata and de Gregorio played a one-two on the left, with the former then linking with Vlahos, who provided Almendra with the chance to produce a sharp turn and unleash a low drive from the edge of the penalty area.      The next to be denied by the shaven-headed shot-stopper was Jackson, the recipient of a quickly-taken Almendra free-kick. The Kingz captain's darting run and shot was superbly saved low to his left by Kearton, who, three minutes from time, was relieved to see a Ngata drive fly across the face of his goal, after a strong run from Vlahos.      The second half was barely three minutes old when both goalkeepers were called upon to thwart

charging opponents. Utting, who had largely been a spectator in the first spell, was first on deck, denying Stephen Laybutt as he looked to make the most of a Grierson pass. The Kingz 'keeper's throw found Ngata, who sent Vlahos away down the left with a measured pass. The chunky wide-man cut inside and rounded an opponent in the penalty area, only to find Kearton grabbing the ball off his toe before he had the chance to shoot. The two collided, with the goalkeeper taking umbrage to the challenge, and eventually both were booked by referee Matthew Breeze. The Jason Kearton show continued soon after, the goalkeeper turning a rasping thirty-yard free-kick from Almendra over the crossbar in the 54th minute, before Vlahos and Ngata again prised open Brisbane's defence on the left, the latter beating two prior to letting fly. Kearton could only parry this effort, but with no Kingz players following in - a cardinal sin if ever there was one on a football pitch! - Heath had time aplenty to clear the danger. The Kingz continued to press, but in the 67th and 69th minutes, were shown the object of the game by Anthony Roche, who was ably assisted by some inattentive Kingz defending. Substitute John Carbone delivered a corner to the near post, and Roche with nary a defender in throwing range, had all the time in the world to head home past the exposed figure of Utting. 2-0 became 3-0 two minutes later, Roche again the chief beneficiary. McKain released Stefanutto down the left - again, the Kingz defence was missing presumed having a good time - and the overlapping full-back had yards of space in which to measure a cross to the far post. Roche got goal-side of Donoso, and gleefully headed the ball home. Cue the on-field inquest to end all on-field inquests, as Utting and Almendra let it be known to all and sundry what they thought of each other, mostly in words of one syllable. Given the former was in goal, and the latter nearer the half-way line, this frank exchange of views was heard by all and sundry, and Kingz coach Ken Dugdale, quite rightly, was far from amused, so much so that he substituted the pair of them on the spot! Enter James Bannatyne and Jeremy Christie, both of whom are hardly likely to forget the circus-like background to this latest opportunity to improve their respective appearance records in a hurry!! Jeff Campbell had also entered the fray by this time, and once things had settled down again and the Kingz had reapplied themselves to the task at hand, his 81st minute corner picked out Hiroshi Miyazawa, whose header bulleted goalwards, only for Heath to block the danger. Cue a couple of Brisbane raids, in the dying stages, Grierson and Stefanutto combining in the 84th minute for the benefit of substitute Matthew McKay. Bannatyne was beaten by the shot, which crept past his left-hand post, but redeemed himself quickly when saving at the feet of Laybutt moments later, following link-play between McKay and Grierson. Another Brisbane raid two minutes from time almost brought a fourth goal for the visitors, and a third for Roche. Stefanutto and McKay opened up the Kingz down the left, and the latter's cross from the byline found Roche arriving on cue at the near post. The sheer pace of the shot had Bannatyne beaten, the goalkeeper had just started to dive when the ball rebounded off his right-hand post. Laybutt was following up, but, under pressure from Miyazawa, fired the rebound over the crossbar. The final minutes saw a couple of opportunities fall the Kingz way, but, as he had for the majority of the match, Kearton again proved their nemesis. A rasping Ngata volley was parried to safety, while the architects of that opportunity, Campbell and Vlahos, combined in the final attack of the game, the latter crossing for the former to head goalwards, only for Kearton to swat the ball to safety. With two games remaining in their season, the Strikers now look to be clear of any threat of "wooden spoon" danger, thanks to this victory in their last away game of the 2002-3 campaign. Not so the Football Kingz, however - they will be looking for at least one win from the last three games of the season to avoid the ignominy of finishing bottom for the second year in a row. Kingz:          Utting (Bannatyne, 71); Anthopoulos, Miyazawa, Donoso; Perry (Campbell, 67), , Jackson, Turner, de Gregorio, Vlahos (booked, 50); Almendra (Christie, 71), Ngata Brisbane:     Kearton (booked, 50); Webber, McKain, Heath, Stefanutto; Pilic (Carbone, 59), Alagich (Dreger, 78), Grierson, Rose (McKay, 59); Roche, Laybutt Referee:     Matthew Breeze