City now in Roar sights

Above: Roar players are put through their paces during pre-season training at Brendale.

Brisbane Roar will make their shortest trip later this month for a pre-season clash with one of Moreton Bay’s top teams.

Last month Roar played Caboolture’s FQPL1 team at the renamed Moreton Bay Sports Complex in Burpengary, winning 9-0.

Now, Roar has Moreton City Excelsior, currently top of the state’s NPL ladder, in its sights on Tuesday, August 19, kick-off 7.30pm.

The match will be played at South Pine Sports Complex in Brendale where Roar and MCE are based, sharing some training facilities.

Further details are to be announced, but Roar have teamed up with their hosts to run junior clinics before pre-season matches.

Players have also co-coached small-sided games and skills and an inflatable field has been set-up for more fun games.

Roar is preparing for the start of it’s a-League season in mid-October and recently held last season’s premiers Auckland to a 2-2 draw.

MCE – formed when Albany Creek Excelsior (ACE) and Moreton Bay United amalgamated in late 2023 – is chasing more silverware.

With three games remaining, MCE lead Lions by two points. Today, MCE travels to ninth-placed Wynnum and Lions host Gold Coast United, in eighth.

Lions and MCE will also meet in the Kappa Cup Final, at a date to be set and are one course for the end-of-season play-off championship.

MCE did the double – premiers and champions – in 2015 as Moreton Bay United. Lions have been premiers three times and champions four times.