Nerang to offer stern test: Hills
THE season is only two weeks old but Burleigh Heads defender Reece Hills knows the importance of tonight’s Premier League tussle with high-flying Nerang.
Both sides enter the 8.30pm encounter at Glennon Park on the back of successive victories, giving them a share of the competition lead with the Gold Coast Knights.
Shock preliminary finalists last season, Burleigh have been impressive in 3-1 and 3-0 victories over Tweed United and Coomera respectively, with Matt Hilton showing his class with four goals.
The Bulldogs’ battle with Nerang will be followed by
matches against Palm Beach, Murwillumbah and Mudgeeraba, before a big three-week test against heavyweights Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and the Knights.
While wary of not taking anyone lightly, Hills said the side’s tough looming run in Rounds 7-9 meant picking up as many points as possible early in the season was vital.
“The first few games are the
games we need to win,” the 24year-old, who joined Burleigh from Musgrave in 2017, said.
“Friday is definitely going to be our biggest test of the first three games. Hopefully the boys will be up for it.
“I don’t know too much about (Nerang), just that they’re very young and pacy. They’ve got a great coach (Sam Saif), he’s done well in the Brisbane Premier League and he’ll get the boys going.
“Trying to keep a clean sheet in the first half would be the big thing for us and their young kids might find themselves under the pressure.
“The club hasn’t put too much pressure on our boys this year, it’s a new team.
“Last year, finishing fourth for a team predicted to finish last (was huge), and then we’ve got a stronger team this year. Our average age would be about 21 and then we’ve got the experience of Matt Hilton, Matt Noble and myself, so I think we should be in the top four again.
“It’s mainly just going game by game (but) we’ve scored three goals in both games and only conceded one, so looking very strong at the moment.”