Broady build continues

Grand final champions hoping to repeat history

BROADBEACH are building for a repeat of their 2017 Gold Coast Premier League heroics after flexing their premiership muscle in a 6-1 annihilation of Palm Beach.

Having extended their winning streak to five games away to the Sharks on Saturday, the similarities between the Dolphins’ run in last year’s grand final continue to grow ahead of the final two rounds.

Lee Vernon’s men stormed home late to snatch second spot from Surfers Paradise last season, and they now look likely to repeat the dose on a Burleigh Heads outfit that is stumbling home after winning their first seven games.

Doubles from Tomoki Asakawa and Josh Riis against Palm Beach helped the Dolphins stretch their goal difference advantage over Burleigh to five, despite the Bulldogs’ 2-1 victory away to Mudgeeraba on Saturday.

While Gold Coast Knights enter the finals as red-hot favourites after sealing a second-straight championship last week, Vernon believes his side is hitting form at the correct time.

“We played really good (against Palm Beach). We were aggressive when we needed to be, we played football when we needed to and created plenty of chances, so it was pleasing,” Vernon said.

“(Palm Beach) play good, fast football and I thought we were just a step better. We’ve got a pretty tough run home with Burleigh and Surfers.

“Both teams are good teams and if you’re not at 100 per cent they’ll take points off you so that’s a focus week in, week out. (But) everyone’s fighting for spots, we’ve got good squad depth and we can affect the game for a full 90 minutes with the lads who come on.”

A first-half goal from Chris Broadfoot handed Surfers Paradise a 1-0 victory at Murwillumbah on Saturday, with Apollo now needing just one point from their last two games to secure fourth place.

Yesterday, Coomera kept

the gap to Surfers to five points with a 2-0 victory over Tweed.