Words: Michael Flynn
Image: Albert Perez/Football Queensland

Moreton Bay United coach Adam Piddick believes his team’s set-piece preparations was a major factor in their PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland Grand Final win.

The Jets scored twice from second half set-pieces against Brisbane Strikers to ultimately claim the title as PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Champions at Wolter Park on Sunday.

Defender Alex Henderson headed Jets ahead just prior to the hour before Jordan Farina curled a free-kick in around the wall to wrap up the result in the final stages after Strikers equalised just minutes earlier.

Jets had failed to beat Strikers in three previous meetings this season and Piddick said the pre-match analysis on set-pieces, both in attack and defence, ultimately proved decisive for the 2015 Premiers.

“We worked a lot on set-pieces during the week and we knew that Grand Finals are won and lost on the ‘one-percenters’,” Piddick explained.

“Strikers all year have troubled us in that department and to be fair we were a bit lucky early on because we didn’t do what we had worked on defensively."

“But once we’d gotten a few attacking set-pieces down perfect I thought maybe we’ve done the right analysis and we could break them down."

The achievement marks the second straight year a member of the Piddick family has won the PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Premiership-Championship double after older brother Grae Piddick took the honours with Palm Beach SC in 2014.

The Jets coach explained there was no sibling nor inter-club rivalry once his brother’s Sharks team had missed out on the Finals Series.

“It’s good to keep it in the family. Grae’s been here for the past two games as well so he’s chuffed for me.”

“I think my younger brother will have to start coaching now,” Piddick added with a laugh.

Piddick reserved special praise for the behind the scenes work the club did in preparation for the Grand Final, including an intensive week of repairs to the Wolter Park pitch.

“It’s a credit to the committee and the council for working their bums off for getting it up to scratch,” he said.

“The players don’t take that for granted. We know nothing gets handed to us. We work hard together as a club,” he concluded.

Following their Grand Final triumph the season continues for Jets this weekend in the knock-out PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues Finals Series when they face PlayStation 4 NPL Northern New South Wales Premiers Edgeworth Eagles.

PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues 2015 Elimination Final

Moreton Bay United FC v Edgeworth Eagles FC
Saturday, 19 September 2015
QSAC, Brisbane
Kick-off at 7:30PM