Clinton hosted a defensive minded Midway team on Wednesday night in a Four County Conference Soccer match.
The Raiders had allowed no more than two goals in any match all season and they packed the box with eight and nine players all night to insure that the Dark Horses did not break that streak.
Clinton could only manage a single goal, that coming in the second half, but were just as stingy on defense holding the Raiders scoreless to take the 1-0 win and remain unbeaten.
Clinton head coach Brad Spell complimented Midway after the game, saying “Coach McLamb should be proud of his team, they had a good plan and stuck to it. We had several opportunities but they played great defense, their goalie made several big saves.”
The teams played to a draw in the first half with Clinton getting half a dozen shots on goal but were turned back by strong goal play. The Dark Horses came out swinging in the second half, keeping constant pressure on the Midway goal and it paid off. In the forty-third minute, the Raiders were called for a hand ball in the box. Spell Carr took the resulting penalty kick and sent it into the left corner of the goal for a 1-0 Clinton lead.
Neither team was able to mount a serious threat for the remainder of the game and time expired with Clinton holding onto the 1-0 win.
Coach Spell added, “I thought we moved the ball well and gave ourselves some opportunities but just couldn’t finish. We have to do a better job of putting the ball in the net.”
The win improves Clinton’s record to 18-0-1 overall and 9-0 in conference play. The Dark Horses host Union on Monday while Midway will also play a home conference game against Wallace-Rose Hill. Midway drops to 7-7-2 overall and 4-6 in the Four County Conference.
Clinton’s JV team wrapped up their season with a 9-0 shutout win over the JV Raiders. Coach Mitchell Brewington praised his team, saying “we finished with a dominant performance, the boys played well, they really enjoyed each other and lifted each other up all year. They have been a pleasure to coach and they have a bright future, a very talented group.”
The JV Horses got goals from Logan Spell, Logan Bell, Parker Norris (2), Ried Taylor, Noah Brock, Austin Johnson, Cooper Brewen and Jacob Bauman. Bauman’s goal about 10 minutes into the second half gave the Horses a 9-0 lead and put the mercy rule in effect, ending the game at that point.
The JV Horses finished the season with a 10-2-1 record with a freshman heavy squad that has Dark Horse supporters looking forward to seeing them progress in the program.
