USQ claim victory in tight cup clash

USQ to face SWQ Thunder after tight cup win over Willowburn.

CUP CLASH: USQ's Ashley Freier (left) competes for the ball with Willowburn's Matthew Meiklejohn and Adam Daly (right). USQ won the FFA Cup game 2-0. Picture: Bev Lacey

FOOTBALL: Willowburn and USQ FC proved why they are early Toowoomba Football League premiership favourites yesterday.

Once again, little separated the two sides. The only difference this time around being what was at stake.

USQ will face the South West Queensland Thunder in the final round of local FFA Cup fixtures after their 2-0 win over the Magpies.

Colin Ball and Ashley Frier scored the goals for USQ in extra time after the scores were locked at 0-0.

Both sides had chances to win the game in regular time but several players were guilty of glaring misses and striking the ball directly at the keeper.

The woodwork also came to the aid of USQ keeper Mat Eilers who was beaten by Nikolas Lawson's shot. Eilers was also guilty of putting his defenders under pressure after failing to properly clear a ball when venturing outside his 18-yard box.

"We had chances, they had chances, we had more chances, they had more chances. It was the one per cent," USQ coach Matt Proctor said.

"It was the one per cent that got us over the line, that extra one per cent. Who was going to go that extra one per cent to win the game for themselves, and for the team and for the club.

"That was the difference. It was a very, very tight match."

Proctor was full of praise for both sides in match that neither was able to truly dominate.

"Both team kept going," Proctor said.

"Both sets of players were superb. It was very well contested, not fierce but a hard battle for both teams.

"It's just the one per cent. I kept saying to the lads at half-time and at the end of full-time it was the one per cent that's all I need and it will get us over the line.

"It was the one per cent in our finishing.

"I'm extremely proud of them."

Next up is NPL outfit the SWQ Thunder and Proctor said it will be business as usual.

"We'll just keep doing what we know we can do, we'll just approach it like any other game," he said.

GOAL SCORERS: Colin Ball (108th minute header). Ashley Frier (115th minute penalty).

Originally published as USQ claim victory in tight cup clash