Pack left trailing in Comets’ wake

SOUTHSIDE is one win from the Premier Men’s premiership and Stratford has all but given up hope of catching them.

The Comets beat Marlin Coast 1-0 to sit five points clear on the ladder, allowing them to put one hand on the title.

It would be a result no one saw coming at the start of the season, but Stratford coach Doug Baird said if things didn’t go their way in the final two rounds, it was their own fault.

After four consecutive draws, the Dolphins finally returned to winning ways on Saturday night, running away with a 5-0 win against Edge Hill after a tight first half.

Baird said his side was keen to make the Comets earn their premiership rather than be handed it on a platter.

“Somebody’s got to try to keep the pressure on,” he said.

“It would be nice to take it to the last game of the season.

“All we can do now is win our last two games and with the teams we’ve got left – Leichhardt and Innisfail – that’s going to be no easy task.”

Baird said his side’s downfall this season was being unable to find the killer punch they had in 2016.

The Rangers’ loss, despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Gianmarco D’Oria throughout the match, put them out of the top four with Leichhardt and Edge Hill to come.

Mareeba replaced them in the four after charging to a 3-2 win against Innisfail, although they must beat Southside in Round 20 to be any chance of qualifying.

Steven Cater gave his side a 2-0 lead with goals in the 58th and 66th minute on Sunday and the Bulls held on in a nervous final few minutes.

Bulls coach Alex Srhoj said there were “a few heartbeats still ticking” in the hope they could snare fourth place, although they may need to produce better football than the scrappy performance against the Cutters. “It was not pretty, but we got the result and that what’s counts,” he said.

“We are still alive and now we have everything to play for this Saturday.”

In perhaps the biggest twist of all, Innisfail faces the very real possibility of missing the playoffs altogether considering a bye this weekend and a final round clash away to Stratford.

The Cutters have secured just four points from their past five matches – four of them being at home.