Buffalo Sports Premier League Round 5 Review

DESPITE the abandonment of the match between Coomera and Broadbeach Utd due to floodlight failure, an eventful round five produced an amazing 23 goals in the four games played, an average of 5.75 goals per match.

Terrific entertainment for local football fans and the weekend’s results have left the title race wide open.

Magic Utd retained the leadership of the Premier League virtue of a 3-1 win over Mudgeeraba, but Musgrave’s come-from-behind 4-2 victory over bottom of the table Surfers Paradise kept them just a point behind the leaders.

Surfers’ Coach Keith Garland was understandably shattered to watch his side’s two-goal lead eroded then overhauled in such dramatic fashion.

“When you’re at the bottom of the league these things don’t go for you. I thought we were worth at least a point but we had chances to go 3-1 in the lead and didn’t take them,” Garland said.

“I thought our defending was poor late on and when they got their chance they took it.

“Our second goal was a very good goal but then to concede one just on the stroke of half time made it harder for us. Whether it actually crossed the line? I don’t know.”

In comparison, Musgrave boss Oscar Langone was buoyant after a late surge made a mockery of his team’s inability to create chances in the first period.

Langone said: “I told the players before the game that Surfers Paradise would win a match sooner or later and that we had to be very careful here.

“We were too relaxed in the first half and they surprised us. In the second half we woke up and after our bit of luck with the goal just before the break we managed to get back into it.

“All the players tried to win the game and I think we deserved it in the end. It’s a good three points and of course it means we are still undefeated,”

After drawing with Musgrave in round four, Palm Beach suffered more lost points, this time at the hands of Burleigh Heads who ran away with the contest thanks to a magnificent hat-trick from former NSL star Con Boutsianis.

Two efforts from distance and a close range tap in from Boutsianis, along with a Ben Longstaff strike, were enough to restore Burleigh’s form and they’ll be looking to gather momentum in the next few weeks.

John Stewart’s Gold Coast Knights side were the highest scorers with their 5-2 mauling of Nerang sending a message to the rest of the competition.

The Knights clearly have a potent front line and any team hopeful of securing points against Stewart’s men will need the tightest of defensive displays.

Ladder: Magic Utd 12, Musgrave 11, Burleigh Heads 9, Gold Coast Knights 9, Palm Beach 7, Nerang 4, Broadbeach Utd 4, Mudgeeraba 3, Coomera 2, Surfers Paradise 1.