QLD shines for Air Force

Volume 48, No. 22, November 30, 2006

The QLD men's team after winning the national Air Force football tournament.

By Barry Rollings

WINNING form at the South-East QLD event proved good form for the QLD Air Force team when it contested the national Air Force soccer tournament at Williamtown/Nelson Bay from October 22 to 25.

QLD Air Force flexed their muscles at the South-East QLD event by beating Army 8-1 and Police 3-1, with AC Nathan Tyson named player of the tournament.

The formline proved true as QLD went on to take the national crown on goal-difference from the fancied Northern NSW, which had won the title in the previous two years since the event’s inception.

QLD hammered SA 4-1 on the opening day of the nationals. They began with a flurry of goals in a game that was to prove bitter-sweet for LAC Shane Bush, whose hat-trick won him the man-of-the-match award. But with two minutes remaining and striving for his fourth goal, he was tackled metres from the goal and fell on top of his right hand, breaking it in two places and ruining his hopes of national selection. 
 
Northern NSW entered the game against Combined as hot favourites but found themselves behind within 20 minutes. Combined went into half time 3-0 up but Northern NSW narrowed the gap with two early second-half goals and, as Combined tired, they added another two for a 4-3 win.

On day two, Northern NSW dominated in a 3-1 win against SA.

Despite a few injuries, QLD went in against Combined as favourites and eventually won 1-0 in a game that could have gone either way after Combined proved well up to the challenge.

With a great game in prospect on day three to decide the championship, QLD and Northern NSW did not disappoint in their 1-all draw. QLD went ahead 15 minutes into the second half after a scoreless first half but Northern NSW equalised soon after and the scores remained unchanged at the final whistle.

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