GPS campaign in safe hands at TSS
WHEN the opportunity to move into a GPS Football First XI starting role arose, Ryan Mudaliar grabbed it with both hands.
Having been The Southport School’s bench goalkeeper last year, Mudaliar made his mark in a nerveracking 1-0 win over defending champions Nudgee College up at Ross Oval in last Saturday’s season-opener.
TSS took the advantage via a Sam Bedingfeld goal but their good work was nearly brought undone when they conceded a penalty in the final minute of the game.
Up stepped vice-captain Mudaliar to make a matchwinning save in goals.
“It was a pretty tough game,” said the 17-year-old, who is part of Gold Coast United’s under-18 squad.
“All of the boys just pulled through and especially with the penalty in the last minute, that made it a bit shaky … I just trusted in my own training to save it.”
TSS have limped to placings of seventh and eighth in a nine-team competition the past two seasons but hope their Round 1 form can be a sign of better things to come in 2019.
“Seeing as though they were the premiership-winning team last year, being able to come out and have a solid game against them, it looks like our season is going to go pretty well,” Mudaliar said.
Their next challenge is to make it back-to-back wins when they host Churchie in their first home game of the season from 1.30pm today.
“If the boys go in with the same mindset and everyone is switched on, I reckon we will have a really good game,” Mudaliar said.
“We’ve reviewed a few of their videos and have seen what areas we could possibly score goals and make opportunities out of.”
TSS director of football and First XI coach Joe Dolan said the team had done their homework on Churchie – who beat Brisbane Boys’ College 6-3 last week – and was impressed by what he saw from his own players in Round 1.
“It’s not like any other football I have seen on the Coast,” he said.
“NPL is very developmental, which is great, but in GPS the boys just make it extremely competitive.”
IF THE BOYS GO IN WITH THE SAME MINDSET AND EVERYONE IS SWITCHED ON, I RECKON WE WILL HAVE A REALLY GOOD GAME
TSS GOALKEEPER RYAN MUDALIAR