COOMERA REVEL IN TIGHT DEFENCE
THEY have run riot with nine goals in their two Gold Coast Premier League outings but Coomera are using defensive nous as the foundation for their impressive early-season form.
The Colts on Saturday picked up where they left off in their 6-0 Round 1 thumping of Mudgeeraba, accounting for Palm Beach 3-0 at Mallawa Sports Complex to keep hold of top spot.
Goals from Payden Pemberton, Charlie Smith and Slayde Scriggins were enough to see off the hosts.
With a trip to Acacia Ridge in Round 3 of the FFA Cup now looming on Friday, Coomera coach Steve Macdonald said his side’s defensive displays had been just as pleasing as their attack.
“Every single week for the past three months I’ve banged on about not conceding goals because we conceded far too many goals last year,” Macdonald, who steered the Colts to sixth spot in 2018 in his first season in charge, said.
“We saw the results (in the Premier League) last week where everybody else was conceding so we said: ‘We know we can score goals, we just need to get our own house in order first and see where it takes us.’
“I thought we were excellent (on Saturday). Right through the team we banged on again about being intense.
“We knew it was going to be frantic, nobody had any time on the ball whatsoever in the first 45 minutes so that really set the tone for our game.”
With games between Burleigh and Broadbeach (Friday) and Nerang and Mudgeeraba (Sunday) postponed, Surfers Paradise sounded another title warning on Saturday with a come-from-behind 8-1 victory away to Tweed United.
The Marlins were surprise 1-0 leaders at halftime, but Apollo clicked into gear after the break as Teddy Watson (four), Chris Broadfoot, Zack Kallinikos and Hayden Sumner found the net.
The visitors also benefited from an own goal.