The best is yet to come at United
APRIL was a fruitful month for reigning NPLW Queensland champions Gold Coast United.
An 8-1 rout away to The Gap capped a near-perfect month of football, totalling three wins, zero losses, 21 goals-for and just two against.
Without a spate of injured senior starters the 2020 premiers have continued their winning ways this campaign – five wins from five outings, for a goal difference of plus-24 has set the scene for another run at the title.
“I think we’re as good a team as we were last year,” coach Alex Bundalo declared.
“Obviously we’re missing the best player in the league, (centre-back) Momo Hayashi, and we’ve got a few other key injuries as well, but the really exciting thing is we have some Gold Coast locals – young, talented players – who have stepped up and added some very positive things for us.”
The experienced centrehalf pairing of Hayashi and cocaptain Ellie Weston was replaced by 17-year-olds Reese Donnelly and Charlie Farmer against The Gap and the youngsters proved more than capable on the senior stage.
With Tayler Stephens and Anabelle Gibson managing just one game between them this season, United’s senior defensive stocks have been decimated.
And yet Bundalo’s side still boasts the best defensive record in the competition.
“We have an excellent balance,” the coach said. “Key senior players from the leaguewinning team last year give us that stability to allow those three or four players stepping up … to not feel out of place.
“That balance of youth and
experience and the way they’ve come together has been a joy. They don’t know how good they are.
“We’re very hard to beat. Last year we lost only two games out of 20 and this year we’ve started well. (But) it’s only early days.
“We’ve got a long way to go, but with these girls they’re always looking only to the next game.”
But the youngsters are not the only ones impressing the coach this season.
Star forward Isabella Habuda is averaging more than two goals per game to lead the golden boot race, while strike partner Deeanna Thompson has eight from five and not far behind.
“She is on fire,” Bundalo said of Habuda.
“In my opinion by the end of the year she deserves at least a W-League opportunity.”
Next on the slate is United’s toughest test of the season so far – a visit from NPLW newcomers Brisbane City, currently third with a 5-1 record.
The Round 7 clash is on
Sunday at 4pm.