Words: Terry Parle, Redlands United
Image: Ray Gardner, Redlands United

Redlands United strengthened their position atop the NPL Queensland table on Thursday night following a thrilling 5-4 win over the previously undefeated Moreton Bay United Jets at Cleveland Showgrounds.

A brace to Graham Fyfe and further goals to Russell Woodruffe, Nico Bechar and Michael Lee gave the home side the win.

Royce Brownlie continued his league-leading goal-scoring form with a double, while Charles Mendy and Mitchell Sheumack also scored for the visitors.

The tone of the game was set in the opening minute when Mendy was booked for simulation in the Redlands box.

Woodruffe opened the scoring in the 11^th minute after a Redlands corner was cleared to the edge of the box, the former Western Pride player then controlled with his first touch before hitting an unstoppable half volley past Jets goalkeeper Mario Aparicio.

Aparicio remained busy as Redlands saw the better of the chances, before Brownlie netted his first on 29 minutes.

Receiving the ball with his back to goal at the top of the box, Brownlie shook his defender before calmly slotting past the oncoming Redlands goalkeeper Andrew Ralph.

With ten minutes remaining in the half, Bechar put the hosts back in front, standing up Jets defender Alex Henderson who subsequently brought the classy winger down in the box. Fyfe stepped up and converted the penalty for a 2-1 halftime advantage.

Bechar again turned provider for Fyfe four minute after the restart when he was gifted the ball by Aparicio. The Frenchman played in Fyfe, who finished calmly under pressure into the corner of the net.

Jets raised their game as they chased the result and an outstanding save from Ralph in the 52^nd minute from a Mendy shot maintained their host’s margin.

With momentum swinging their way, Ralph was forced into another save four minutes later from Brownlie’s effort, only to see Mendy convert the follow-up.

Jets levelled terms on 76 minutes when the Redlands defence failed to clear from a Jets freekick and Brownlie scrambled the ball home from close range.

Things went from bad to worse for Redlands when Adam Chandler was sent from the field following a second caution when he felled Jets attacker Jarred Austin.

However, the Red Devils resilience came to the fore when in the 86^th minute Lee started a move from his own half before tracking forward to get on the end of a clever pass from Fyfe to restore the host’s lead.

Redlands sealed the three points in injury time when Bechar chased a clearance and, despite being outnumbered 3-to-1 produced a calm finish to cap off another busy display.

It didn’t prove the end of the scoring though as Sheumack turned in a cross a minute later as a final consolation.

The result cements Redlands place atop the table going in to the Easter break, while Jets’ first loss of the campaign sees them remain in fourth place.

Redlands United 5 (Russell WOODRUFFE 11’, Graham FYFE 34’(pen) 49’, Michael LEE 86’, Nicolas BECHAR 90+2’)
Moreton Bay Jets 4 (Royce BROWNLIE 29’ 76’, Charles MENDY 56’, Mitchell SHEUMACK 90+3’)