Burleigh coach Colin Phelan says Broadbeach will enter Premier League finals as the form side

BURLEIGH Heads coach Colin Phelan has identified the club he believes will enter the Gold Coast Premier League finals as the form side after another enthralling weekend of action.

BURLEIGH Heads coach Colin Phelan says Broadbeach United will enter the Gold Coast Premier League finals as “the form side of the competition” after denying the Bulldogs a golden chance to secure a top-two finish.

Riding a five-game winning streak into Friday night’s penultimate-round clash at Pizzey Park, Broadbeach fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to salvage a crucial point against Burleigh.

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Both teams entered the game on 36 points, but with the Dolphins (plus-37) holding a five-goal advantage on for-and-against, their destiny is in their hands heading into Saturday’s 5pm home battle with fourth-placed Surfers Paradise.

At the same time, Burleigh will travel to Croatian Sports Centre to take on a Gold Coast Knights outfit that annihilated Murwillumbah 8-0 at the weekend and is still basking in back-to-back championships.

Phelan was left to rue his side’s inability to close out the game on Friday, with their cause not helped by the second-half send off of Yuto Hayamizu.

“We never managed it. Broadbeach score early on (in the second half) and they all lift,” Phelan said.

“They’re a good side, they’re the form side of the competition. They’ve got a massive squad and if the boot was on the other foot and we score in the first few minutes of course we’re going to lift.

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Burleigh’s Yuto Hayamizu scored a goal before being sent off against Broadbeach on Friday night.

“The first half we done quite well, a 2-0 lead and I thought we deserved it. Broadbeach used their experience, they get more vocal, they get inside officials’ heads and … then (Hayamizu) gets sent off and it’s an uphill battle.”

Matt Hilton and Hayamizu appeared to have put Burleigh on track for victory with first-half goals, before Shaun Robinson and Tomoki Asakawa helped Broadbeach grab a share of the spoils.

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On Sunday, Chris Broadfoot scored a hat-trick and Yuji Hirayama a double as Surfers Paradise thumped Mudgeeraba 7-0 at Lex Bell Oval.

A day earlier, Nerang edged Coomera 2-1 and Palm Beach ended Tweed United’s hopes of avoiding a relegation playoff with a 2-0 win.

Meanwhile, Southport have sewn up second place in the Women’s Premier League and a home preliminary final after downing Musgrave at Ashmore Village Park on Saturday.

The Warriors’ 3-1 win, their 10th in 13 games this season, kept them five points clear of third-placed Robina with one round to play.

Robina beat Coomera 2-1 at Robina Common Field on Saturday to secure third spot.

Broadbeach, who had a bye, will finish top, while Southport and Robina will meet in the preliminary final on the weekend of August 25-26.

GC PREMIER LEAGUE LADDER ROUND 17

GC Knights 47

Broadbeach 38

Burleigh 38

Surfers Paradise 31

Coomera 23

Nerang 23

Palm Beach 19

Murwillumbah 13

Tweed United 8

Mudgeeraba 4