Isn’t it grand to be a Dolphin
BROADBEACH United have maintained a proud record by making it through to their eighth Gold Coast League grand final in nine years.
The Dolphins forged a significant psychological advantage over new league champions Gold Coast Knights with a penalty shootout at the Knights’ Croatian Sports Centre headquarters on Saturday night.
Broadbeach are now into the grand final while the Knights have to overcome gallant Burleigh Heads in the preliminary final on Friday night to have another crack at the Dolphins.
Scores were 2-2 at the end of regulation time, then it was 3-3 after extra-time before the Knights botched the shootout.
Andrew Barisic was the only Knights player to hit the back of the net in a 4-1 suddendeath decider.
Coach Lee Vernon said it should work to his team’s advantage to have beaten the Knights at their home base.
“I think so because they have been pretty dominant at home over the season,” Vernon said.
Broadbeach won the 2016 league championship by 16 points but missed the grand final after losing the semi-final and preliminary final.
The tense Saturday night struggle featured two penalties, one to each side, as Broadbeach came from behind twice to force the match into the shootout format.
The Knights scored first through Barisic before Dean Wernerson and Trent Barwick missed from the spot.
Knights coach Alex Morrison thought his side had the more chances.
“We expected a tight game and we got that but I am certainly disappointed with the result,” Morrison said.
Last year’s grand final champions Surfers Paradise crashed out of the race when Burleigh Heads upset them by 1-0 at Lex Bell Oval.
A goal from Jacob Hughes in the 85th minute was the sealer to get the Bulldogs into the preliminary final.
This result came despite Burleigh having had two players sent off, Michael Townsend handed a straight red for a swinging arm and Hayden Sumner another straight red for questioning a decision while he was on the interchange bench.
This means Burleigh, already low on numbers, will be minus arguably their best two players to tackle the Knights in the preliminary final.