The Dark Horses men’s soccer pulled off a huge win Thursday night, toppling 4A school E.A. Laney in a second half comeback win 2-1.
The night started off with a moment of silence over the passing of Andrew Warren, whose life was claimed in a car wreck. The Horses all donned white T-shirts with his last name and the number 13 in tribute to him.
“We will be wearing those shirts for the rest of the year during our home games,” said CHS coach Brad Spell. “It was a blessing to have his parents at the game tonight and we will continue to honor him.”
After that, the intense soccer action began and Laney was in command of this matchup the entire first half. Though the Horses adjusted slightly toward the end of the half, they still never gained control. Laney scored the only goal in the first at 33:09, going ahead 1-0.
They maintained that lead the rest of the first half, taking the one point lead and momentum into halftime.
“They really owned us in the first half; they moved the ball on us like crazy,” said Spell. “We made some adjustments to the midfield and to the wings and we got better, especially towards the end of the half. It was just unfortunate that they got that one goal on us.”
It was a completely different ball game from the start of the second half. The adjustments made toward the end of the first half made a huge difference in the second as it was all Clinton the rest of the night.
They moved the ball like crazy this time as it led to Ivan Ponce scoring the first of his two goals on the night. With the game tied, the crowd began to pick up along with the Horses’ intensity.
Clinton then got their first lead of the night a little past the 70-minute mark when Jacob Bauman delivered the key pass of the game near the Laney goal. It was assisted to Ponce, who put in an easy shot giving Clinton the 2-1 lead as the field erupted. The Horses then played lockdown defense to keep Laney out the net and claim the win.
“I’m really proud of all our guys and how they played. They really gutted this one out, played with a lot of heart and we’re glad we got the win,” Spell concluded.
The Dark Horses improve to 14-4 overall and 6-2 in the conference. They face off against Goldsboro on the road Monday.