May
13th
Mosgiel
2 v Spirit 1
Spirit
FC gave a courageous performance but failed to win any points from its
Soccersouth Premier league game at Mosgiel on Saturday when it was beaten 2
goals to one by the local Mosgiel team.
The
late withdrawal of defender Matty Burgess put added pressure on Spirit and once
again head coach Ken Creswell was needed to fill the breach.
All
of the scoring was done in the first half of the game and Spirit’s second half
performance had Cresswell singing the praises of his team’s all round effort.
“Following
a series of games where lapses of concentration have been our downfall the lads
were determined to at least defend the half-time score.
The fact that they not only did that but also created a few chances, that with
just an ounce of luck might have made for a better day, speaks volumes for their
courage and tenacity”, Cresswell said.
Spirit
FC took the lead 1-nil in the game when full back Marty Black scored with a fine
header at the eighteen-minute mark.
Mosgiel,
and the league’s, leading scorer Alister Rickerby levelled it for his team
with a well taken goal after thirty minutes that some would argue had a “touch
of offside” about it.
However
what proved to be the winning goal five minutes later had no such controversy as
Steve Monaghan volleyed an unstoppable shot from 15 metres out on an acute angle
into the Spirit net.
Early into the second half centre back John McCarroll left the field injured and Cresswell needed to reshuffle his defensive line-up.
Tom
Kent was moved into McCarroll’s former role and although the move weakened the
Spirit attack the team effort was maintained and in particular the threat of
Rickerby’s scoring prowess nullified through to the final whistle.
Locally
a freak goal was the difference between Ascot Tavern Queens Park getting one or
no points from its charity cup game against runaway leader Southend United.
With
the score level at one apiece a stinging drive from Southend’s Matty Wahren
ricocheted off the cross bar and as the Queens Park goalkeeper Chris Pearson
turned to see the flight of the ball he inadvertently headed it into his own
goal to give Southend it’s 2-1 winning margin.
Earlier
Ian Watson had opened the scoring for Southend United and Jonny Cox with a
second half penalty for Queens Park equalised the game at 1-all.
Waihopai’s 5-3 thrashing of Balclutha in their Otago Fletcher Cup game had a look of old times about it with veterans Brent deRuyter 3 and Chris Jones causing most of the damage.
By
contrast youngster Carl Henderson completed the scoring list for Waihopai in its
season best performance.
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