Thumping victory announces Colts’ start

A GOAL for each month they spent waiting to make their 2020 Brisbane Women’s Premier League debut isn’t a bad return for the Coomera Colts.

Last Saturday, nearly a year after making its maiden finals appearance in the league, Coomera announced its BWPL arrival with a 9-1 belting of newly promoted side Grange Thistle.

For coach Trent Gregson, it marked his first competitive game at the helm, nine months and two near misses after being appointed.

Coomera was set to kick off its 2020 season in March but sat out Round 1 with a bye before the competition was suspended on the eve of Round 2.

More recently, Coomera’s fixture season restart clash was rained out, forcing it to wait another week to make its debut.

“There were quite a few nerves and I woke up on Saturday feeling like it was our first day at school,” Gregson said.

“I got a few nervous text messages and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous as well.

“We didn’t know what Grange Thistle was capable of and a couple of girls from Coomera last year went to play for them.”

Coomera’s nervousness wasn’t obvious for long as captain Brittany Lacek scored six minutes in and combined with Nadine Keast to score seven goals between them. The only dampener came when former Gold Coast United product Georgia Elliston injured a hamstring early in the match.

Despite expecting to miss one of his stars for the next few weeks, Gregson believes his side has the depth to be genuine championship contenders.

“It sets the tone for what I and the squad expect for the rest of the season and no matter who we’re playing, we want to play with the same dominance as Round 1,” he said.

“Having made finals last year, they know what to expect and I think it will hold us in good stead.”

On Sunday night, Coomera faces Ipswich City which is now coached by former Colts mentor Archford Kahondo.