PORT United outclassed Port Saints at Dixie Park on Saturday in a victory one coach was thrilled with, while the other described it as a "real kick in the backside" as the finals loom.
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Goals to Matt Broderick, Lucas Heagney and Michael McCulloch sealed the win for United.
Broderick's was a left-foot thunderbolt from the edge of the area, and McCulloch also put his laces through one during a one on one with Saints keeper Chris Newbound.
Heagney also had plenty of confidence on the afternoon though. He even attempted a scissor kick later in the match after scoring.
United coach Chris Walsh was a pleased man earlier this week.
"It's been quite a while since I've had a smile on my face come Monday morning," he said.
Even at 0-0 in the first half, Walsh was still confident his team could do the job.
"We created more opportunities than they did in the first half," Walsh said.
The team's defenders Tony Raymond, Brad Spokes, Eli Wade and Brendan Prince were the standouts on the day.
"The biggest thing for us is that we limited them to maybe two or three opportunities the whole game," Walsh said.
"Our defence won us that game."
A couple of those Saints chances came early in the match. Had Ibby Khodary kept his shot under the bar and Paul Galloway not pushed one wide, it could have been a different outcome.
"But that's football, and you can talk all you like about it," Saints manager Mark Rogers said.
He was "underwhelmed" by Saints' performance. "That was a real kick in the backside for us," he said.
His team was capable of better, and he expected that next weekend.
"We know we need to do a lot better than what we dished up on Saturday," Rogers said.
He described the round as a good examination of the top six teams.
"Three stood up, and three didn't," Rogers said.
Wallis Lake, Camden Haven Redbacks and Tuncurry Forster were the teams which passed the tests, while Rangers, Kempsey Saints and Port Saints failed.
Rogers and Saints were thrilled with the reserve grade result on Saturday.
United was on top of the table before Saints won on the day.
Saints won 2-1, with some Dean Glen-Holmes magic in the second half the highlight of the afternoon.
He made a good run into the United box before slotting the ball in a one-on-one with United keeper Steve Lawrence.
Glen-Holmes is making his way back to first grade via the reserves outfit.
n More football:?Friday