SOCCER: Nerimbera Magpies have broken a seven-year winning drought agianst Clinton Football Club, after defeating the Gladstone team 2-1 on Saturday night.

Coming out of the CQ Premier League Division 1 round two win, the Nerimbera side was excited to break the defeat streak.

"It was a good feeling,” coach Scott Thomson said.

"It was good for the team. They've been working hard over the last few years.

"This time they were more focused on what we had to offer on the paddock more than Clinton.

"We always knew they are a tough team so we knew what to expect when they were coming to us.”

Thomson said the team focused on their strengths, specifically their defensive structure through the middle of the pack.

"We've been building on that the last few years and have been creating a strong spine in the team,” he said.

"From the centre backs to the centre mids, we've been working on combinations in getting that nice and solid.

"They're not easy to break down and to get around us, Clinton would've needed to go wide. It worked well.”

The recruitment of a couple of senior players in the team also worked in Nerimbera's favour up front scoring goals and supporting younger players.

"It was nerve-wracking all the way to the final whistle and we never felt comfortable that we had the win,” Thomson said.

A new combination between recent signing Michael Cay and James McIntyre showed promise of good things to come.

The pair scored the team's goals for the night.

Nerimbera now goes in to two byes, and will be focusing on shape and structure and getting the new players into the mix.