OUR LIONS MEN ARE BESTED BY AN INSPIRED GOLD COAST KNIGHTS SIDE IN THE FINAL GAME OF THE NPL SEASON
The 2024 NPL Queensland Premiers showcase their class, overcoming our Lions Men with a 5-0 victory in front of a vibrant home crowd at the Croatian Sports Centre.
We spent the opening quarter of the first half pinned in our defensive third as Gold Coast Knights attacked with numbers and intensity. Pranav Vallabh made an intelligent early challenge to dispossess Zander Guy as he attempted to cut inside and shoot. Joshua Brindell-South made an authoritative header to clear a dangerous cross directed towards the back post.
As we grew into the game and began to dictate the tempo, our Lions Men maintained a lengthy and dominant spell of possession in the Knights half. Nadir Naouri picked the lock with a sleek, threaded pass to Jack Skinner, but his quick touch and shot were parried wide by a diving keeper.
Matt Ridenton sent a powerful long-range strike soaring into the upper side netting before Jack Skinner fired a shot over the crossbar from close range. The first half looked certain to end goalless, but a low finish into the bottom left corner from Zander Guy made it 1-0 in the 45th minute.
We started the second half with renewed focus. Matt Ridenton forced an alert save with a deep curling effort before Jack Skinner ripped a powerful long-range strike over the crossbar.
A great lateral move across the box saw Luke Broderick burst down the right flank and square the ball to Nadir Naouri. Nadir slipped the ball across to Shaun Carlos, but his fierce first-time strike was blocked firmly.
Despite maintaining strong control over the ball in the second half, the hosts ultimately found their second, with Brad Inman slotting home from close range to make it 2-0.
Andy Pengelly entered off the bench, making an immediate impact as his sharp cutback was redirected into the goal frame.
A late penalty from Godrey Debele put the game to bed with ten minutes remaining. Taisei Kaneko scored the best goal of the afternoon, cutting inside and driving the ball into the top right corner with five minutes remaining.
Following a rebound off the crossbar, Luke Beckwith buried the ball into the roof of the net emphatically to make it 5-0 at the Croatian Sports Centre. An inspired afternoon for the Premiers, who celebrate their crown in front of the home crowds.
We send our congratulations to the Knights and take valuable lessons into our final games of the season. A Kappa Queensland Cup Grand Final against Moreton City Excelsior, an Australia Cup Round of 16 clash against Western Sydney Wanderers, and an NPL Finals Series Semi-Final await us.
Congratulations to our Lions Men on an incredible effort across the course of an arduous NPL campaign. Darren Sime, his coaching team, and his players have shown remarkable bravery, brilliance, and commitment to the club, and we’re all incredibly proud of the effort.
Best of luck in your final games.
MATCH DETAILS
NPL Men 2024 Round #22
Lions FC 0 – 5 Gold Coast Knights
Croatian Sports Centre, Carrara
NEXT MATCH
Kappa QLD Cup Grand Final
Lions FC vs. Moreton City Excelsior
Imperial Corp Stadium, Newmarket
