Queensland teams book a spot in Round 5 of the FFA Cup

There were thrills and spills on Easter Saturday as nine teams from Gold Coast to Mackay progressed to Round 5 of the FFA Cup. 

Gold Coast Premier League club Southport Warriors caused the biggest upset of the weekend, coming back from a two-goal half time deficit to beat FQPL 1 side Wynnum Wolves 5-4. 

Striker Morgan Saunders was the hero for Southport, winning the man-of-the-match award after scoring a sensational hattrick that included the winning goal in extra-time. 

Elsewhere, FQPL 1 side Holland Park Hawks edged into the next round with a 4-3 win over Brisbane Premier League outfit The Lakes FC, while Sunshine Coast Fire eased past Centenary Stormers 4-0. 

It was a tough weekend for Ipswich based sides, with Western Pride losing 4-1 to SWQ Thunder in the Western Derby, and underdogs Ripley Valley FC going down 3-1 to NPL side Brisbane Strikers. 

The Strikers, Sunshine Coast Wanderers, Logan Lightning, Magpies Crusaders United and Olympic FC netted a total of 24 goals in the five games involving NPL clubs.  

The only losing NPL side was Moreton Bay United, which went down 4-0 to Olympic FC at Goodwin Park. Olympic were unstoppable in the final third, with Daniel Leck bagging a hattrick and Jez Lofthouse a constant threat for the Jets’ defence. 

Meanwhile, the biggest win of the round was in Mackay, with Magpies Crusaders United beating local side Mackay Lions 8-1 at Sologinkin Oval. 

Matches postponed due to the suspension of football in Greater Brisbane will be rescheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday next week, while the Round 5 draw will be released on Friday, 9 April. Stay tuned for more details.

Image: Patrick Kearney