The National Soccer League play-off hopes of the Brisbane Strikers were confined to the files of what might have been at North Harbour Stadium on April 29, as the Football Kingz delighted 5,628 fans by finishing their final home game of the season on a winning note, 2-1 the final score. The home team began brightly, buoyed by the NSL's most vocal supporters, who had come to "Camelot" with one objective in mind - to cheer "Wynton Rufer's Black and Grey Army" on to victory for the last time on home turf this season. They weren't to be disappointed, although the match was to take its fair share of twists and turns before their wishes came true. They were greatly enthused by what they witnessed in the fourth minute, Lee Jones and Fred de Jong, in what may well have been his last hurrah in competitive soccer, working a super one-two to open Brisbane up. Sadly for the Kingz, Jones' decision to square de Jong's brilliant back-heeled return to the back-from-suspension Aaron Silva failed to come off - the outcome might have been different had "Jonah" had a shot himself. De Jong was displaying touches of class aplenty, and was often to be seen doing his fair share of defensive duties, as Brisbane continually prised open the Kingz defence down either flank in the first spell, a situation often seen when a 3-5-2 formation comes up against a 4-4-2 team structure. Peter Dwyer and Shane Stefanutto, on Brisbane's left, and Jade North, on the right, were relishing the opportunities afforded them by Jon McKain and the impressive Wayne Srhoj to get in behind the Kingz defence and cause merry hell with their crosses. But the home team's defence, ably marshalled by the newly hair-dyed Che Bunce, succeeded in scrambling the ball clear on any number of occasions, sometimes by good management, sheer good fortune at other times. Daniel Duke was also doing his bit to keep his former team-mates at bay. Dwyer, Srhoj and Peter Grierson all found the goalkeeper in "Thou Shalt Not Pass" mood before the conclusion of the opening half-hour, while Paul Foster and Matthew Bell failed to make the most of golden opportunities to put Brisbane on the board before half-time, the latter in particular squandering a glorious chance to reward the visitors' industry. The scoreboard did tick over once before the interval, however, much to the home crowd's undisguised delight. Chilean striker Silva has fast become a favourite with the Kingz followers, and the script wouldn't have been complete without him finding the target in this fixture. He duly did so, in the 23rd minute, turning to pounce on Brisbane's failure to clear a Harry Ngata free-kick and calmly roll the ball past the stranded figure of Clint Bolton and in by the goalkeeper's right-hand post. The mop-topped marksman came close again before the break, his thirty yard lob of the advancing Bolton drifting wide of the target after countryman David Moya's raking pass out of defence had sent the striker scurrying through a Brisbane rearguard somewhat bereft of numbers three minutes before the interval. Three minutes after it, the Kingz were denied a second goal by the woodwork. The hard-working Jones intercepted a Bell pass and released Ngata through the middle. The Kingz captain, on his fiftieth NSL appearance, quickly latched onto the ball, sized up his options and lobbed the advancing Bolton, only to see the ball rebound to safety off the top of the crossbar - it was desperately close. The match was beginning to take on exhibition

proportions, as play swung from one end of the pitch to the other. Srhoj and Grierson again tested Duke's athleticism from distance, while after beating Stefanutto all ends up on receipt of a pass from Silva, half-time substitute Noah Hickey - his introduction saw the Kingz adopt their own 4-4-2 strategy - sent in a super cross from the right which no one from the home team was on hand to convert. Another Brisbane raid saw a corner forced in the 55th minute, but this was cleared to the edge of the Kingz penalty area, where Ngata was on hand to turn defence into smart counter-attack. Ivan Vicelich - surely the Kingz player of the season - appeared on the left in support, and was duly afforded possession. Looking up, Vicelich spotted Silva starting a darting run forward, and threaded a splendid pass through the Brisbane defence toi the striker, who appeared to be marginally offside when the ball was played. Referee's assistant Dave Watkins didn't think so, however, and on scampered Silva before planting a twenty yard drive past Bolton to double the Kingz advantage. His reward for this was to be replaced within two minutes by John Lammers, thus sacrificing the key element of pace in the Kingz frontline. To say some of the selections made by the Rufer brothers throughout the season have raised the eyebrows once or twice is an understatement! It encouraged Brisbane to pour forth in search of some reward, and after Duke had thwarted Russell Miner with his legs, they gained it through Dwyer. Chay Hews, Srhoj and Grierson made the most of the space afforded them by the static Kingz rearguard to create the chance, and Duke was helpless to prevent Dwyer from pulling a goal back for the visitors. This was all Brisbane needed to up the tempo. Hews twice went close, North also, while Duke produced a splendid double-save to frustrate Srhoj, then Miner, before later denying Srhoj once more. The Kingz 'keeper wasn't the only custodian being kept busy, however. Bolton had to be wary of Lammers' looping header in the 64th minute, while a buccaneering run from Ngata - he careered past four opponents on this occasion - saw the Brisbane shot-stopper tip his effort over the crossbar, only for referee Perry Mur to give a goal kick when, from another angle, it looked a certain corner. In the dying minutes, Bolton twice saved from Lammers, on the second occasion when the striker was one-on-one with the 'keeper, having been put through by the inspirational de Jong, who had combined with Vicelich and Ngata - this superbly - to craft the chance from nought with sixty seconds' running time on the clock. But not on the referee's watch, as Brisbane still had a chance to level things before the final whistle sounded on the Football Kingz home season, through Glen Gwynne. His cross picked out Grierson on the far post, and his header whizzed wide of the far post. It was Brisbane's last chance, for the sound of the final whistle signalled the end of their play-off hopes, and party time for the players and fans of the Football Kingz, their inaugural season over, on home turf at least. Kingz:  Duke, Bunce, Moya (Rufer, 74), van Steeden, Surio (Hickey, 45), Ngata, Vicelich, Jones, Kenyon, de Jong, Silva (Lammers, 57) Brisbane:  Bolton, McKain, Bell (Webber, 80), Gwynne, Stefanutto, North, Srhoj, Grierson, Dwyer (Pilic, 70), Miner, Foster (Hews, 60) Referee:  Perry Murs