In case you missed it, here are the results of the games that occurred across the county for soccer Monday night.
Clinton defeats Midway
The Dark Horses (1-1-1) beat the Raiders (1-1) 4-0 to win their first game of the season.
“I thought we moved the ball pretty well tonight,” Clinton Head Coach Brad Spell said in an interview. “One thing that we talked about for the first couple of ball games is that we were kind of undisciplined. We were doing a lot of stabbing (individual defensive challenges) and not playing together as a unit. So I thought we did a better job of that. Sharing the sugar is something that we talk about. Don’t worry about who gets the goal, but share the sugar and move the ball around. We were very unselfish tonight, and we had a lot of opportunities.”
Spell credited Midway goalkeeper Brenner Boswell for his efforts against the Dark Horses.
“I thought their keeper played outstanding,” he attested. “He saved a lot of balls; it was four to nothing. It could have been worse, but he definitely kept them in the ball game.”
After two close games against non-conference opponents Richlands and Newton-Conover, the Dark Horses were able to get over the hump. Emilson Molina scored a brace (two goals), while Marlon Hernandez and Brandon Montes added scores to help Clinton take down Midway.
“We still got some injuries that we’re dealing with,” Spell said. “Our striker has been out pretty much the whole year. I felt good that if we had him the first two ball games, we’d have had a better chance of winning those games (tie at Richlands, 4-3 loss against Newton-Conover). But it’s always the next man up. It’s a long season, but it’s always good to beat a rival, and Midway did a good job tonight. They played well; they got a new coach (Coach Austin Kriger), they didn’t do anything dirty, which was good to see.”
Following the win against Midway, Clinton now heads on the road to face East Bladen on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
“I play Jay Raynor (East Bladen coach) just about every year, and they got one of the better fields in the state,” Spell expressed about the matchup. “It’s going to be a big, long and wide field, and we just got to go in and take care of business … take advantage of what we did tonight and keep moving forward. We still got a lot to work on, but I’m proud of the effort tonight and especially in the heat conditions. That’s what summer training is all about, getting in shape.”
On Midway’s side, Kriger felt his team ran into a “well-disciplined” Clinton side, while mishaps led to scoring chances for the opposition.
“I felt, overall, that it was a solid performance by us,” he said. “They’re extremely well conditioned, especially for yesterday’s very hot weather. I thought we had a few mistakes in the first half and then I believe we had an own-goal in the second half. We weren’t quite able to hold things together at the right time for us.”
Working out the fundamentals and shape of formation are some of the points Kriger would like to see the team prioritize as they head into their next matchup.
“Stepping to the ball and pressuring it, making sure that we’re making those passing lanes a little bit harder to get through,” he listed as improvements he wants to see “We have to communicate to our teammates, so that we’re aware of how our formation is shifting based on how a team is trying to attack us. (We’ll be) taking a look at some film on things we could have done better, whether it’s little details or whether there was a mistake here or there that we can clarify. That way, moving forward, we have a better idea of how to work with each other on the field and how to approach the different teams that we play.”
Kriger also took a moment to highlight Boswell’s efforts in the loss, after hearing Spell’s praise for the goalkeeper.
“I think it speaks a lot to his abilities,” Kriger said of Boswell. “But I think it speaks even more to his sportsmanship and his passion for the game. It’s very easy to hang your head, especially as a goalie when you know a couple of balls slip by. No matter what the scoreboard said, he was constantly taking the right angles and making dives. He does an excellent job of communicating with our back line, trying to let them know what he needs. Even when the ball goes to the back of the net, he rolls it back out to midfield. He doesn’t berate his teammates or come down on himself. He talks about what can be done a little bit better as the game progresses.”
Midway moves to 1-1 on the early season, and the Dark Horse record stands at 1-1-1.
Midway’s next game will come against Union (0-3) on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 6 p.m.
Union falls
to Pender
The Spartans dropped their second straight home game, this time 3-2 against Pender. Through three games played, Union has scored two goals or more in two of them, but has allowed more than two in each game.
Union coach Evert Cruz couldn’t be reached for comment at the time of press. Union, standing at 0-3, plays its next game on the road against Midway Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 6 p.m.