A hat-trick from the league’s leading scorer, Maxx Green, helped the North Canberra Fire continue their unbeaten run in the Capital Futsal League as the Fire edged the UC Stars 5-4 in a gripping contest to begin Round 7.
The two teams had met earlier in the season and the Fire had been comprehensive winners, and yet there was little chance of that occurring again as the Stars started brightly and led after only four minutes as Clyde Holo forced home his effort at the second attempt.
Jamie-Lee Guo was in incredible form for the Stars, making a string of stunning saves, but even he was unable to prevent the Fire turning around ahead, a double from Green, the second an exquisite back-heel from close range at the end of an excellent mood, giving the Fire a 2-1 lead at half-time.
Vinnie Brasil levelled matters for the Stars in the second stanza, only for Green and then Samuel Thomson to edge Fire further ahead, the latter scoring into an empty net as Guo played as a fifth man.
Holo pulled one back before Thomson again scored in an empty goal, only for Brasil to curl in his second to set up a grandstand finale, the Fire holding on for what might prove to be an extremely important victory.
South Canberra Swift kept their title chase on track with a 14-4 hammering of Queanbeyan-Palerang Power on Saturday evening with Michael Adams and Alen James both coming away with five goals each.
The Power were only able to name a squad of five and they all performed admirably in trying conditions, even leading 2-0 after only three minutes of the match thanks to goals from Sam Roestbakken and James Wilson.
But there was always the feeling that if the Swift could ride out the early storm then numbers would eventually count and, with a team packed with classy ball players, goals were an inevitability.
Adams was in superb form, opening his account for the season and bagging a nap-hand and James did likewise. Phakedi Manda grabbed a brace himself and there was a sublime strike from Jackson Paesler.
A debut goal for Robert Tkatchenko was the icing on the cake as the Swift increased their goal difference and took home the points.
West Canberra Lightning rediscovered some form with a 6-1 defeat of the ANU Apex on Sunday afternoon to keep clinging onto the coattails of the North Canberra Fire and keep alive their hopes of finishing in top spot.
Buoyed by three goals inside the opening seven minutes, the Lightning were always in control of the match and, despite a bold effort from ANU Apex, were comfortable for the majority of the contest.
Those early strikes from Michael Sydney, Will Sheppard and Ben Basser-Silk gave the Lightning a real cushion and, when Sydney hit his second on the cusp of half-time, the lead was looking secure.
Jenno Ceruti pulled one back for Apex in the second half, sparking hopes of a comeback, but two late goals from Daniel Fulton and Ashley Blount sealed the Lightning win.
MEN
Friday 9 December
North Canberra Fire 5 (Green 18’, 20’, 30’, Thomson 31’, 37’) UC Stars 4 (Holo 4’, 34’, Brasil 28’, 39’)
Saturday 10 December
South Canberra Swift 14 (James 8’, 14’, 28’, 30’, 32’, Adams 11’, 14’, 18’, 22’, 40’, Paesler 15’, Manda 25’, 40’, Tkatchenko 31’) Queanbeyan-Palerang Power 4 (Roestbakken 3’, Wilson 3’, Felizzi 23’, Alnuwaysir 40’)
Sunday 11 December
West Canberra Lightning 6 (Sydney 4’ 20’, Shepherd 6’, Basser-Silk 7’, Fulton 34’, Blount 39’) ANU Apex 1 (Ceruti 26’)
TABLE
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Fire | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 62 | 28 | +34 | 16 |
| 2 | Swift | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 40 | 19 | +21 | 12 |
| 3 | Lightning | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 34 | 18 | +16 | 11 |
| 4 | Apex | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 5 |
| 5 | Stars | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 29 | 48 | -19 | 2 |
| 6 | Power | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 68 | -52 | 1 |
LEADING SCORERS
18 Maxx GREEN (Fire)
11 Samuel THOMSON (Fire)
9 Luca FLOREZ (Fire)
7 Alen JAMES (Swift), Edward MCCARTHY (Swift), Patrick SHORE (Apex), Nicholas SUBASIC (Lightning)
6 Riley BROWN (Fire), Daniel FULTON (Lightning), Jackson PAESLER (Swift), Bailey SORENSON (Fire),Luke STEVENS (Apex)
5 Michael ADAMS (Swift), Lucas ALCAZAR-STEVENS (Swift), Clyde HOLO (Stars), Juan Sebastian OSPINA (Swift), Kai THORNTON (Apex), Own GOALS
4 Jake FITZGERALD (Apex), Johnny HAJDU (Stars), Brandon HAWKER (Fire), Brad MALONE (Fire)
3 Hassan ALNUWAYSIR (Power), Ben BASSER-SILK (Lightning), Ashley BLOUNT (Lightning), Vinnie BRASIL (Stars), Jenno CERUTI (Apex), Sherab GUO (Stars), David JENKINS (Power), Michael RINAUDO (Stars), Michael SYDNEY (Lightning), Blaise VLAZLOVSKI (Apex)
2 Andrew AITCHISON (Stars), Julian BRITTON (Apex), Sam CARTERS (Lightning), Alistair DAVIS (Fire), Jason FARRELL (Lighting), Connor FALUSI (Stars), Brett FORWARD (Lightning), Hamed JADEER (Stars), Phakedi MANDA (Swift), Michael MOSCARITOLO (Stars), Sam ROESTBAKKEN (Power), Will SHEPPARD (Lightning), James WILSON (Power)
1 Michael CAHILL (Power), Arnold CHOI (Power), Daniel FELIZZI (Power), Marco GAYER (Power), Lachlan HARRINGTON (Stars), Robert MCKAY (Fire), Braulio MELO (Apex), Bruno MELO (Apex), Michael NOLAN (Lightning), Zach PRITCHARD (Stars), Marko RATHOUSKI (Stars), Daniel ROBERTS (Swift), Martin SANTOS (Power), Jordan SELEMS (Power), Robert TKATCHENKO (Swift)
