Gold Coast United defender Dean Wernerson says 1-0 loss to Peninsula Power was ‘devastating’

GOLD Coast United have walked away from Saturday night’s heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Peninsula Power with renewed belief they are the dark horses of this year’s NPL.

GOLD Coast United have walked away from Saturday night’s heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Peninsula Power with renewed belief they are the dark horses of this year’s NPL.

Entering Round 14 a win outside the top four, United again underlined their marked improvement under first-year coach Kristian Rees to push the unbeaten Power all the way in a 1-0 defeat at Tallebudgera.

It took a 92nd-minute strike from Sekou Jomanday to separate the sides, reviving memories of the Surfsiders’ last-gasp 1-0 loss to second-placed Lions FC in Round 2.

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Having also held Gold Coast Knights, who sit third, to a 1-1 draw in March, United defender Dean Wernerson said there was an understated confidence among the group that they could make an impact in September’s finals series.

Gold Coast United defender Dean Wernerson. Picture: East End Digital

“I feel like we’re definitely up there. We can compete with those top teams,” Wernerson, 23, said.

“When there’s tough games everyone gets up for it a bit more. (The Power game) shows what we can do.

“People underestimated us at the start of the year. We have got a good blend of older heads, like Justyn (McKay) and Thwaitey (Michael Thwaite), and good young players there who want to prove themselves.

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“It’s a good combination. We’ve had a lot of injuries over the last few weeks but hopefully everyone can stay fit for the rest of the season.”

Having returned to United this season after departing midway through last year to join the Knights, Wernerson said he was “gutted” in the wake of Jomanday’s injury-time winner.

“It was pretty devastating to concede so late. I felt like we were well in it until that happened but we still take away a lot of positives from it,” he said.

“They were coming off a cup game (on Wednesday) and you could tell they were pretty tired. I thought we were going to get the winner but they just stayed in the game and took their chance when it came.

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“We hit the post and there were a few contentious calls for off-side. It’s never good conceding goals, let alone a goal like that in the last minute of the game.”

The Knights had the weekend off ahead of Tuesday’s 8pm trip to Sunshine Coast Wanderers in Round 5 of the FFA Cup.

United’s women fell 5-2 away to Moreton Bay in Round 12 of the NPLW on Saturday night.