Tasked with restraining Far North Queensland danger man George Koroma, Searle had to pick and chose his forays forward.

He did so with game defining and QSL season-shaping effect, poaching both North Queensland goals in the 2-1 come-from-behind win in front of a hostile Borzi Park crowd in Mareeba on Saturday.

Razorbacks coach Ken Mitchell knew he was taking a risk by relocating a midfielder with a goalscoring pedigree to such a defensive role in the elimination final. But it proved an inspired one with the Townsville-based outfit overcoming their arch northern rivals for the first time in seven attempts.

"Josh playing out of position was brilliant for us, Mitchell said.

"Having him play at right mid/right back wasn't something that we thought could work, but we took the chance to play him on George.

"We just knew he (Searle) would have the engine to do the work back there and still have the ability to get forward. "

It's with a hint of desperation that Searle would make his mark after the Bulls took the lead though Joe Rusch in the 18th minute.

The goal sparked life into the contest, opening the game up for Searle to wander forward where he found himself on the end of a brilliantly placed Robin Edwards' cross.

While Bulls goalkeeper Angelo Serafin got down to smother the initial shot, there was nothing he could do as the deflected ball crashed back off Searle's face, on to the custodian's head and over the line where FNQ captain Victor Madrid could only cannon his goal-line clearance into the roof of the net.

Again Searle ram-raided the Bulls' defence in the dying seconds of a match seemingly destined for extra-time.

But he timed his run to perfection to meet the loose ball in front of an unguarded net.

This time it was Brett Hay who latched on to a probing Anthony Gazziolli long-ball with Serafin again throwing his body into the one-on-one contest, only for the ball to dribble loose into the path of the goal poach.

"They were two ugly goals, but who cares," Searle smiled.

"Everyone worked hard for them.

"They was the instructions from Kenny before the game, do a job on George and then pick my times to go forward.

"After their last attack I asked the ref how long there was to go and he said two minutes, so I decided that no matter what I'd go forward for our last attack which happened to finish with a goal."

For the match to whittle down to that moment took the combined defensive efforts of goalkeeper Daniel Wilesmith and Michael Lancini who scrambled to deny Rusch a double of his own when the striker snatched at a close range effort in the 48th minute.

It was a rare chance afforded to the hosts, struggling to contain North Queensland's underdone midfield pairing of Lorenzo Sipi and Lee Mayberry.

NQ Razorbacks 2 (J Searle 2) d FNQ Bulls 1 (J Rusch).