A resilient display away at Goodwin Park saw Lions FC secure their first Premiership title since 2019 after holding on for a 3-2 victory against second-place Olympic FC.
In a blockbuster ninety minutes of football at Goodwin Park, NPL outfit Lions FC secured their third Premiership title in five years with a memorable victory against title-challengers Olympic FC.
A hattrick from Andy Pengelly in a tense first half gave the visitors the edge against a side that piled them with pressure from start to finish. A late goal for the hosts threatened to halt their celebrations until, with relief, the final whistle blew crowning them Premiers at last.
70 goals, 15 victories and 13 different goalscorers have contributed to another landmark in the Lions FC history books. With a deadly strike-partnership striking over 40 goals between them, a masterful midfield five behind them and an organised defence with six league Clean Sheets; the Lions have conquered the Queensland NPL with spirit and dominion.
Displaying the heart, pride and passion that makes the Dutch-founded club unique, the Lions withheld a relentless attacking threat in the second half against Olympic, defending with grit and valour to overcome their fiercest rivals at an animated Goodwin Park.
Midfielder Joe Duckworth talked about how great it felt to wrap up the league with a couple of games to spare against one of his side’s biggest rivals.
“It’s nice, I’m not going to lie,” Duckworth said, “it’s good, they’re obviously our biggest rivals, we’ve had a history of some massive clashes [against Olympic].
“The first half was a good contest, and the second half was just a battle. They’re a class outfit.”
The dynamic midfielder spoke about how valuable it was for his side to secure the Premiership at Goodwin Park.
“As a footballer, winning the league is the top priority, it’s the major one and you know, we won it two years in a row, and we haven’t won it in a couple of years, so going into this year that was our number one goal.
“It’s the games you want to play [at Goodwin Park], we’re only part-time, but it’s still awesome when there’s an atmosphere and I think anyone that’s played in our league in the last few years can appreciate that Olympic always have a really, really strong fanbase.
“It just builds it, it makes it a better game, a better atmosphere, it’s what makes everyone love football.”
With their focus now shifted to preparing for the NPL Finals series, the Richlands outfit can look back with pride after a gruelling league campaign that has seen fixtures postponed and rescheduled due to the typically inconsistent Queensland climate.
With the start of the season delayed by almost one month due to the severe floods that plagued the state during February, the Lions got off to a rocky start when they hosted the Gold Coast Knights at home. A 6-3 humiliation handed them a harsh reality check when they were put to the sword in a scintillating second half at Lions Stadium.
Their recovery was remarkable, and they wouldn’t lose another match until Gold Coast United stunned them at home at the end of July. With a sixteen-game unbeaten run that gave them a resounding lead atop of the NPL table, the Queensland club showed resilience and solidarity to maintain their levels each week, sometimes playing twice a week while juggling their own lives outside of football.
A stoppage time stunner to beat Peninsula Power, heroic equalisers against both Gold Coast United and Knights and a daring two-goal comeback away at Capalaba proved that even when it wasn’t their night, they were capable of digging deep and getting the work done.
With their targets now set on lifting a third consecutive Championship title, the Lions can reflect with pride on a monumental milestone that has seen the Premiership trophy return to Lions Stadium.
