Oh boy, coach’s double delight
COACH Grae Piddick had his second big celebration in four days when Gold Coast City presented him with a 4-0 win in an NPL Queensland match on Saturday.
It was only last Wednesday that Piddick’s wife Suzanne presented him with twins – son Emerick Redknapp and daughter Hannah Marlene Reggie Piddick – instantly doubling the family size.
The naming of the twin boy continues a Piddick tradition – dad Grae is a devout Liverpool fan – with sons Carragher (Jamie), Rush (Ian) and now Emerick Redknapp (Jamie) – all bearing names of famous Anfield names.
Back to the soccer field and it was an impressive warm-up for City for their upcoming Westfield Round of 32 fixture against Perth club Western Knights when they beat Brisbane Roar Youth at Duncan McKenna Field.
Defender Eoghan Murphy drew first blood with a header after six minutes, in-form Sam Smith made it 2-0 inside 10 minutes and former Sydney Olympic player Jacob Boutoubia scored his first goal for City after pouncing on a parried ball from the Roar keeper.
Ahead 3-0 at the big break, Smith sealed the deal with his second goal, a header, giving him his 20th goal of the season and only the second City player to achieve the feat.
Elusive small forward Chris NPL LADDER Lucas was the other, although he scored 35 goals in the club’s brilliant 2014 campaign.
Smith’s form continues to thrust him into speculation over whether his future is with City and the NPLQ competition or even at an interstate operation at a wealthy club.
“Of course he’d be looked at,” Piddick said of the big Englishman.
“If he gets picked up by a bigger club then so be it.”
City now have a decent break to prepare for their FFA Cup clash with Western Knights, to be played at Duncan McKenna Field in Palm Beach on Wednesday night, August 2.