Southport draw 5-5 with 2019 Premier League double winners Burleigh Heads after leading 5-1
Southport coach Rob Semple says his newly-promoted side has proven it belongs in the Gold Coast Premier League after dominating 2019 double winners Burleigh Heads in one of the most remarkable games in recent memory.
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SOUTHPORT coach Rob Semple says his newly-promoted side has proven it belongs in the Gold Coast Premier League after dominating 2019 double winners Burleigh Heads in one of the most remarkable games in recent memory.
Championship runners up and grand final winners in last year’s Coast League One, the Warriors walked away from Pizzey Park with a 5-5 draw in Round 1 on Saturday night after surrendering a 5-1 lead midway through the second half.
The visitors led 4-1 at halftime thanks to goals from Thomas Kenney, Brandon Connolly, Morgan Saunders and Ross Panes before Luke Roiter added another after the break to put Semple’s men on course for a major upset.
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But the Bulldogs showed all their fighting qualities in the dying stages as strikes from Brody Smith, Yuto Hayamizu and Matt Hilton (two), coupled with David Mutch’s first-half goal, helped them salvage a point.
While Semple had mixed emotions post-match, he said the performance of his troops was proof they could match it with the top flight’s elite.
“I think for 75 minutes there we outplayed the double winners from last year,” Semple said.
“We seem to do best when we’re underdogs and everybody writes us off. We should’ve seen the game out, I’ve got a dressing room there full of players who are obviously devastated.
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“Would I have taken a point before the game? Of course I would against a team like Burleigh, but at the end of the day we should’ve won that one.
“It’s a massive positive for us. Other teams know Southport are in the league on merit so they’ll be up for the game from the first whistle.
“I thought we showed that we’re in the Premier League (to compete) and we deserve to be there.”
After giving his troops a halftime spray, Burleigh coach Colin Phelan said it was not all doom and gloom for his side.
“I’m never happy dropping points but we could’ve got beat. We showed a bit of bollocks at the end of the day and we’ll take something out of that,” he said.
At Duncan McKenna Field on Saturday, Palm Beach downed Broadbeach United 1-0 thanks to a Josh Squires goal but the Sharks have been hit with a “please explain” from Football Gold Coast over rowdy crowd behaviour.
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The Bulletin understands the governing body is looking into an alleged pitch invasion from Palm Beach spectators.
Coomera thrashed Nerang 4-0 on Friday night, while Robina City host Surfers Paradise at 3pm today.
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