Soccer: Kingz frustration turns into bickering

7.00pm - By BOB PEARCE

Frustration led to team disputes on and off the field as the Football Kingz lost to Brisbane 3-0 yesterday at Ericsson Stadium.

After the third goal in the 69th minute, goalkeeper Michael Utting and striker Patricio Almendra started a heated dispute over who was to blame.

Coach Ken Dugdale immediately opted to replace the pair with James Bannatyne and Jeremy Christie. But the dispute continued off the pitch with Utting clearly annoyed at being subbed.

He finally headed around the ground to the changing rooms, helped on his way by a shove on the shoulder from his coach. The sparse crowd applauded Utting but the incident reflected credit on no one. After the game, Dugdale said the players' behaviour had been unprofessional.

"It highlighted the way we played," he said. "Football is a team game and you play for each other. We did that in the first half but not in the second."

It was all so different last time these teams met across the Tasman. The Kingz won, largely because Utting had a fantastic game.

This time the Kingz dominated possession for long periods, created a host of chances but were denied by Brisbane goalkeeper Jason Kearton.

The home team dominated the opening as Almendra, Andy Vlahos and Harry Ngata worked some slick combinations to split the defence. It looked only a matter of time before they scored.

But, as so often this season, their opponents broke free and after 10 minutes Joshua Rose scored after Utting and his defenders had failed to clear a corner. For the rest of the half it was Kearton versus the Kingz. In the 23rd minute he foiled Almendra and then tipped a shot from Raf de Gregorio over the bar. A few minutes later Almendra was frustrated again.

But the best save came in the 38th minute after Almendra slipped a quickly taken free kick to Chris Jackson and Kearton, at full stretch, touched his shot round the post with his left hand.

More of the same in the second half until the 67th minute when the Kingz defence, so long capably anchored by Steven Turner, came adrift.

Anthony Roche was left unmarked and scored with a free header from a left-wing corner. Two minutes later he repeated the dose.

By then the Kingz were in disarray but there was time for one more piece of Kearton magic as he tipped a header from substitute Jeff Campbell over the bar. The frustrations of the Kingz and their supporters are understandable. They have scored just three goals in their last 10 games despite creating plenty of chances.

It will be a tough few days as they try to lift themselves and settle their differences for a catchup game against Northern Spirit at Ericsson Stadium on Thursday at 7.35pm.