Gold Coast United hopeful young players will be better for Round 1 experience when they face Lions

GOLD Coast United are banking on their emerging NPL talent to be better for the season-opening loss to Moreton Bay when they mark their Coplicks arrival in Round 2 on Saturday.

GOLD Coast United are banking on their emerging NPL talent to be better for the season-opening loss to Moreton Bay when they mark their Coplicks arrival in Round 2 on Saturday.

Coming off a 3-2 defeat to the Jets that featured NPL debuts for a number of players and coach Kristian Rees, the Surfsiders are now facing another massive challenge against 2018 double winners Lions FC.

The 5pm fixture will be the side’s first at the new home at Tallebudgera’s Coplick Family Sports Park, with the club’s under-13, 14, 15 and 16 outfits christening the field with four wins last weekend.

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Rees conceded his young squad was outplayed in Round 1, but expected them to take some crucial lessons from the early anguish.

Cian Cuba (left) was among a number of Gold Coast United players who made their senior NPL debuts in Round 1. Picture: Andrew Shaw/VisibleFocus.com

“We just got outfought by a more experienced, more physical team. We were playing on a really small pitch against an experienced team who had their game plan to really come out and battle and they did that quite well,” Rees said.

“We probably just didn’t defend well enough. Defensively, I never wanted to concede goals as a defender and conceding three goals (was disappointing).

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“But I don’t think there’s any doubt (our players) will be better. I spoke to a few of the boys that hadn’t (played NPL) … and played on the weekend, and you could sort of tell they were a bit upset because physically they copped a bit of a hiding from the Moreton Bay boys.

“I think they learned straight away from that and the intense pressure that Moreton Bay applied to us, so if they’ve learned just a little bit from that game they’re going to better this weekend.”

United goalkeeper Griffin Bambach also made his first NPL appearance last weekend. Photo by Andrew Shaw/visiblefocus.com

Tactics, Rees said, had also been addressed.

“We want to try and keep the ball if we can. I don’t really want to force boys to get forward and create opportunities if it’s not there.

“If we need to keep possession we will do that so getting on the big pitch, the full-sized pitch at Coplicks, is going to help the boys there. With a good surface hopefully we can play a bit of football and open lines up.

“But overall physically and mentally, we just need to be prepared to fight every single game because there really isn’t any easy games in the NPL now.”

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Rees has made four changes to the starting side, with goalkeeper Duro Dragicevic coming in for Griffin Bambach, and Tyler Wagstaffe, Dean Wernerson and Curtis Stollery elevated from the bench at the expense of Ryan Cavanah, Brandon Le May and Jarran Pfefferkorn.

Experienced midfielder Justyn McKay is back in training but has again been left out of the squad as he recovers from injury.

Lions loss 2-1 to Peninsula Power last weekend.

GOLD COAST UNITED ROUND 2 TEAM:

Duro Dragicevic

Tyler Wagstaffe

Dean Wernerson

Michael Thwaite (c)

Junya Yabe

Jason Campbell

Curtis Stollery

Braedon Steel

Cian Cuba

Brandon Reeves

Conor Smith

Subs:

Brandon Le May

Jarran Pfefferkorn

Ryan Cavanah

Tommy Miller

Griffin Bambach