Mosgiel 4, Spirit 1 - Apr 19th
“That was just awful” said Spirit FC coach Ken Cresswell when summing up his team’s mediocre performance after losing 4 – 1 to Mosgiel in its Soccersouth premier league game at Mosgiel on Saturday.
“Its back to the drawing board this week and I will expect some renewed commitment as we are scheduled to tackle the competition leader and title favourite Dunedin Tech next Saturday at Invercargill’s Rugby Park”.
Spirit’s effort was peppered with sloppy ball control and poor distribution.
The interesting aspect in reviewing Saturday’s fixture is that Mosgiel coach Mike McGarry might well have said the same about his team but his elation at grabbing the three points probably curbed a willingness to do so.
In what was a
scrappy affair the difference between the teams was simply an outstanding
contribution to Mosgiel’s effort by veteran Otago striker Phil Kelly.
Kelly has played for an assortment of Dunedin clubs during his long tenure in the game and has a well-earned reputation in the striking role.
On Saturday he endorsed that when from three realistic chances to score he claimed a hat trick of goals to give his team the cushion for its comfortable win.
Kelly struck the first of his three goals at the twenty minute mark when he received the ball on the right flank after the Spirit defence including goalkeeper Chris Pearson had moved forward to counter a Mosgiel attack.
With clinical accuracy he (Kelly) struck a fine shot from an acute angle into the un-guarded Spirit net.
The game ambled along until Spirit’s Hamish Low was unfortunate enough to see his well-timed effort on goal hit the upright and rebound back to the field of play.
The ball
rolled perilously close to striker John Schol but was out-of-reach just enough
to elude him. Spirit went to the break trailing by the one goal.
This time he challenged the Spirit keeper for a high ball crossed in by a colleague and in the resulting melee nudged the ball into the net.
How often does in happen that the best goal is scored by the losing team?
And so it was on
Saturday when with fifteen minutes to play a slick Spirit move involving Brendon
Lloyd, Adam Letts and Tobi Reid ended with Reid controlling the ball and firing
an unstoppable 20 metre volley past the Mosgiel keeper.
This is probably the only time BG (10) has been taller than his team mates
Mosgiel closed down any threat of a Spirit fight back when with time running out Dom Vettise was left unmarked, received the ball near the far post and simply tapped it in to complete the 4-1 scoreline.
In Invercargill results went with pre season form when Southend United and McLellan Motors Queens Park secured wins in their opening Southland Finance premier league games.Jonny Cox, Cory Johnson, Ryan Boyle and Jason Gold with a goal each ensured Park of its 4-1 win over Waihopai at Turnbull Thomson Park.
Southend United was made to work hard for its win and needed two John Ferguson penalties to finally see it safely home 2-nil against Smith City Old Boys at Bain Park.