Coach blasts flat start

GOLD Coast United have copped a spray from coach Sean Lane for a lack of intensity in their 3-1 NPL victory over Sunshine Coast at Robina on Saturday night.

Bolstered by the return of key players from injury and debutant Jayden Prasad, United gave up a 1-0 lead inside five minutes before Englishman Conor Smith produced a sublime strike from distance to level the scores in the 22nd minute.

Nicholas Panetta then broke the deadlock 20 minutes into the second half before Smith put the result beyond doubt with his second shortly after.

“I thought we were very ordinary for the first 20 minutes, in fact I thought we were very ordinary in the warm-up,” Lane said.

“I think we thought it was going to be an easier game than it was. We got caught on the hop the first 20 minutes and made it hard for ourselves.”

The win lifted United to 16 points, 11 behind fourth-placed Lions, ahead of Saturday’s home battle with Cairns.