Murwillumbah into first Gold Coast Premier League grand final after beating Broadbeach

MURWILLUMBAH have made history by making it through to the Gold Coast Premier League grand final for the first time after beating league champs Broadbeach.

Matt Hilton heading goalwards for Murwillumbah. Photo: Richard Gosling

MURWILLUMBAH have made history by making it through to the Gold Coast Premier League grand final for the first time.

The Warning also ended a seven-season run by Broadbeach United when they beat them 3-2 in a wet and windy preliminary final at Nikiforides Park on Saturday night.

Using their clear physical advantage to perfection, the Warning led 3-0 early in the second half but when they lost big defender Matt Peate, sent off for a second yellow card, United fought back.

Peate will get an automatic one-match suspension, which will rule him out of the grand final against Surfers Paradise.

“They were hungrier than we were, they wanted it more than we did and stifled our game,” losing coach Lee Vernon said after the Dolphins’ proud record of seven successive grand final appearances came to an end.

“It’s disappointing that run has come to an end but we’ve got a record that’s going to be hard to beat.”

When the Broadbeach defence coughed up two howlers in the opening 10 minutes, Matt Hilton and Peter Hammil pounced to set up a 2-0 half-time lead.

When Simon Hurcombe scored shortly after half-time the match looked dead and buried – until the dismissal of Peate.

Sean Robinson and Mason Campbell scored against the 10-men Warning, who managed to hold on, on the back of superb work from keeper Ryan McCloy. Hilton said McCloy made a number of crucial saves as Broadbeach bombarded the penalty zone with high crosses.

The Coast league 1 preliminary final between Pacific Pines and Tweed United was abandoned after 38 minutes because of an unplayable pitch at Brockman Way Sports Oval, with Tweed leading 2-0.