MATT Bale and Matt Broderick tuned up for Tuesday night’s clash with Newcastle Jets by scoring a brace each in Port United’s 8-1 rout of Port Saints on Saturday.
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United led 2-0 at the break after Bale found the back of the net twice before he was replaced by Broderick at the point of the attack.
Nathan Wade’s men then went on with the job in the second half against a 10-man Saints side who had no answers in the second 45 minutes.
Broderick scored twice, while Harry Gordon, Matt More, Eli Wade and Josh Casey all got on the scoresheet.
Wade was impressed with his side’s ruthless approach to the second half that followed a disappointing 3-all draw with Camden Haven on Thursday night.
“I thought we might have got a little bit tired in the second half, but we pushed on and made every post a winner,” Wade said.
“Their player getting sent off just a couple of minutes before half-time didn’t help them.”
The message from the coach at half-time was a simple one: go on with the job.
“We had a bit of a plan for the second half so we wouldn’t get drawn into the sense that we’d already won the game and not finish it off,” Wade said.
“I thought we controlled the game from the get-go and even with their man sent off I thought we were starting to get on top with 11.”
Wade said midfielder Simon Granfield’s hard work in the middle of the field went a long way to stifling any Saints attack.
“He had his best game of the year for us, did a lot of work and cut down their attack early on,” he said.
The coach admitted the comprehensive victory gave his players more belief heading towards the semi-finals as they aim to end an almost 20-year premiership drought.
“We know we can score goals when we’re on,” he said.
“In terms of the context of the season it gives us confidence, but we need to work on the other end of the field as well.”
United have already put seven goals past Taree Wildcats – the side they face in a third-versus-fourth battle next weekend.
Wade was disappointed United couldn’t keep a clean sheet courtesy of what he thought was a “soft” penalty, but did admit they received one themselves.
“We would have succeeded with that except for the interference of the ref,” he said.
“But in saying that, when it happened at the other end he had to give us one as well so it probably was two penalties that weren’t penalties.”
Wade’s attention will now turn to Tuesday night when he coaches a Football Mid North Coast northern zone representative side against the Newcastle Jets.
Kick-off is at 7.30pm at Regional Stadium.
