NQU show true grit in heartbreak defeat

IT WAS the most torturous way to lose, but North Queensland United coach Michael Brooks has already seen proof of his team’s resolve after a late goal denied them a crucial point against Moreton Bay at Brolga Park on Saturday.

Battling to avoid relegation, the second- from- bottom hosts looked to have secured a vital point against the top four visitors when bench weapon Masi Benjamin buried a shot in the 90th minute to level scores at 2- all. But a lack of composure and experience cost the hosts dearly when Riley Campbell struck the winner for Moreton Bay just two minutes later.

The results keeps NQU in second last, a point behind Redlands, with the bottom two to be relegated from the National Premier League.

“It was gut wrenching, that one,” Brooks said.

“On field they showed they can match it with the best, but we also showed our inexperi- ence and once we got that equaliser we needed to realise that we had to shut the game out, but we got excited and went forward too hard.”

Brooks said the initial signs are good that the spirit of his troops isn’t broken.

“The boys in the dressing room were all together and talking about what we can improve on, which shows a real solidarity and we haven’t really done that in previous weeks,” Brooks said.

“After last week’s drubbing ( 6- 0 against Lions FC) it’s not always easy to bounce back.

“We were maybe the better team in the second half, but it doesn’t matter if we are not winning the games.”

Already down a few players, NQU suffered more unwanted injuries with Theo Nicopoulos ( groin or quad strain) and Mitchell Maher ( hip flexor) failing to finish the game.

Brooks praised the work rate of young strikers Cade Colquhoun and Kyren Walters, the latter starting in his first NPL game, while young midfielder Harry Linning impressed off the bench.

Linning, Walters and Benjamin were all selected for Queensland schoolboys after guiding North Queensland to its first state title in eight years last month. NPL ROUND 19 MORETON BAY 3 ( M Capelo 52’ pen, C Arop 60’, R Campbell 90+ 2) bt NORTH QLD UTD 2 ( C Waples 40’, M Benjamin 90’) at Brolga Park on Saturday night.