The Football Kingz finished their sorry 2003-4 National Soccer League season on a winning note at Ericsson Stadium on February 29, coming from behind twice to down play-off contenders the Brisbane Strikers 4-3, as the Kingz marked their final home game of the season with what it fast becoming a club tradition - the end-of-season goal-fest. The visitors dominated the early exchanges, the impressive Steve Fitzsimmons going close with a twenty-five yard chip in the third minute, before Chris Scuderi's surging run wrong-footed John Tambouras four minutes later. With Danny Hay racing across to cover, Scuderi slipped the ball inside to Matt Hilton, who hit a shot at full stretch which had Michael Utting scrambling across his goal to parry the effort. But the ball spilled loose, and Matt McKay pounced on the rebound before the Kingz 'keeper could recover - 1-0. Still shell-shocked, the Kingz nearly shipped a second goal four minutes later. A neat interchange between Hilton and David Pilic resulted in a Joshua Rose shot on the run being smothered by Utting, five minutes prior to Michael Williams going close to putting through his own net, as he stepped in to prevent a Fitzsimmons cross from being turned home by McKay. Seconds prior to this attack, the home team had launched their first forward foray of note, Harry Ngata going close when heading an inviting Mark Burton cross narrowly wide. Burton himself then set off on a strong run into Brisbane's penalty area in the twentieth minute, but Adam Webber tracked back to produce a fine goal-saving tackle as the Kingz midfielder shaped to shoot. These raids inspired the home team, who began to play with confidence, as evidenced by a number of neat interchanges as they approached the Brisbane penalty area. But delivery of the final ball, as is so often the case, was yet again the foil of a number of promising attacks - in the next ten minutes, only Jeremy Christie's clipped free-kick on the half-hour, which Hay diverted narrowly wide with a glancing header, found its intended target. In between times, Brisbane threatened to double their advantage, defender Josh McCloughan breaking down the left and linking neatly with McKay, prior to steering the ball back into Scuderi's path. His shot cannoned to safety off Tambouras on this occasion, while another effort from the same player fizzed across the face of goal in the 31st minute, after Hilton had released Scuderi on a counter-attack. The balance of power in the game was slowly changing, however, and a Ngata-inspired raid invited Tallan Martin to wriggle clear on the left. Brisbane were able to clear the danger this time round, but there was no doubt about it - the Kingz attacks were growing in intensity. Seven minutes before the interval, only the bounce of the ball prevented Martin from getting on the end of a Williams cross, after Burton had released the midfielder with a lovely pass down the right. Brisbane 'keeper Corey Baldock intervened on this occasion, and was called into action again seconds later to deny Martin once more, as he bulldozed between two defenders and into the penalty area in pursuit of a raking clearance from Utting. McKay was keen to add to his tally of goals in the game, and signalled such intentions with an eighteen-yard drive which sizzled over the crossbar in the fortieth minute, the striker having linked with Rose in the build-up. The home team weren't to be denied, however, and responded with the equaliser, struck two minutes before the interval. Martin earned a free-kick near the corner flag, and Christie's delivery picked out Hay perfectly. The hard-working defender held off his marker and headed home neatly from close range - 1-1. Which quickly became 2-1 to the home side, Ngata sending Baldock the wrong way from the penalty spot in injury time at the end of the first half. What led to the spot-kick was another raking clearance by Utting, which Craig Wylie flicked on into the path of Martin. The striker never got the chance to make the most of the opening, however, as he was felled from behind by Brisbane's player-coach, Stuart McLaren, who fully expected to be sent off for what was a professional foul - he was the last defender. Amazingly, referee Derek Rugg opted to keep his cards in his pocket., but while McLaren's luck held on this occasion, Ngata's conversion of the penalty sent the Kingz to the dressing rooms 2-1 in front. The second spell in this incident-packed affair, which saw both teams with little else but pride to play for, given neither could change their finishing positions on the league table, began with another Brisbane flurry. Rose, Fitzsimmons and Pilic interchanged passes near the edge of the penalty area, with the last-mentioned bursting into the eighteen-yard box, only to stumble and lose all hope

of restoring parity. Back came the Kingz, Jason Rowley and Wylie combining on the left, with the latter clipping a delightfully weighted ball over the top for Ngata to latch onto. But the Kingz leading goalscorer was unable to flick his shot beyond Baldock. Brisbane responded with two goals in four minutes, the first of which came very much out of nothing. Rose had been receiving treatment for a back injury after the cumbersome actions of half-time substitute Chris Jackson, in what was his one hundredth appearance for the Kingz, saw the midfielder inadvertently use his grounded opponent's back as a stepping stone to make his own landing following an awkward challenge that much easier. Rose was clearly aggrieved by this unfortunate incident, but chose to channel his aggression in the best manner possible. Having been waved back on after treatment, he ghosted into the front-line, and when Fitzsimmons' cross into the penalty area arrived, the striker burst past the startled Tambouras to unleash a shot, which Utting parried onto the post. Rose was following his effort in, however, and made no mistake at the second attempt. 2-2 quickly became 3-2 to Brisbane, Hilton picking out Fitzsimmons in space on the left of the Kingz penalty area, the winger having escaped Wylie's attentions. Brisbane's number seven deserved a goal, and thrashed his shot inside Utting's near post, his shot deflecting off Hay to deceive the Kingz goalkeeper. This turn of events revitalised the Kingz efforts, and in the next fifteen minutes, Baldock saved from Campbell - following a well-worked free-kick with Christie - Jackson and Burton, while Hay had been thwarted by McLoughan's clearance, which cannoned off the Kingz defender to safety after Hay had pursued a ball forward by Wylie. Fourteen minutes from time, the Kingz pressure paid off, as they drew level. It was a totally innocuous goal, however, and one which Baldock should have nightmares about for days. After all, it's not often you see a goalkeeper dive over a speculative thirty-five yard grasscutter - Christie will hardly forget his first goal for the Kingz in a hurry! Four minutes later, after shots from Campbell and Ngata had been blocked by defenders, Baldock was in the gun again, this time for a seemingly innocent challenge on Martin as the striker pursued a hopelessly lost cause - the ball was already over the dead-ball line when the nuggety frontrunner found his heels clipped by Baldock as their paths crossed in the penalty area. Much to Brisbane's amazement, particularly that of their goalkeeper, referee Derek Rugg pointed to the penalty spot, and reached for the yellow card - the official deemed that there was clear intent in Baldock's challenge, and that he could have easily avoided Martin had he chosen to. Suffice to say, the goalkeeper was livid, and his mood wasn't aided when he could only get his hand to Ngata's second penalty of the afternoon, steering the ball into the roof of the net to put the Kingz back in front, 4-3. Incensed, the visitors set about getting another equaliser, and a neatly worked free-kick between Warren Moon and McKay looked promising for them, as did the latter's deep cross to the far post. McCloughan rose high, but steered his header over the top, which allowed the Kingz a last chance to alter the scoreboard once more. Rowley picked out Ngata on the left - the Kingz veteran had a great game, and it would have been fitting had he crowned it with a hat-trick. It wasn't to be, however, Baldock pulling off a fine save at full stretch to turn the last chance of the match around the post. The final whistle sounded soon after, ensuring the Kingz held onto their 4-3 advantage, thereby finishing what has been a generally sorry season for them on something of a high, this being their second successive win on home turf - the last time that happened was November-December, 2002. And while that's a small crumb of comfort to take from a season which has seen them firmly entrenched at the bottom of the table for all but the first couple of rounds of the season, Brisbane have the play-offs to now look forward, although they will do so with some trepidation, given that this was their sixth defeat in their last seven games - hardly the sort of form to boast come the business end of the campaign. Kingz:          Utting; Rowley, Hay, Tambouras; Williams (Campbell, 46), Rayner (Jackson, 46), Christie, Burton (Collins, 85), Wylie; Ngata, Martin Brisbane:     Baldock (booked, 80); Pilic, McLaren, McCloughan; Fitzsimmons, Moon, Webber (Heath, 67), McKay; Hilton (booked, 69) (Evans, 77), Rose (Peltohawa, 74), Scuderi Referee:     Derek Rugg