MATCH REPORT

Weekly Roundup - May 3rd & 4th

By Marion F Dent
Press Associates

	Player of the Week Cory Janzen VMSL Premier Provincial Cup Semi-Final Surrey Under-21 3-2 Sikh Temple May 4, Cloverdale Athletic Park Click here for multi-photo slideshow Photos by Richard Howes BCFPB

The third weekend of Provincial cup began with all four Surrey United adult teams participating in the semi-finals of their respective competitions and ended up with three of them securing victories to do the club proud and represent Surrey United in next week’s finals.

The weekend started on a great note on Saturday with the men’s premier team setting the tone with a magnificent 4-1 victory over North Shore Pegasus to reach the final for the second time in their history. United got off to a quick start opening the scoring after only eight minutes of play when midfielder Cory Janzen pounced on a defensive miscue to beat Pegasus keeper Steve London with a well placed shot from close range. Pegasus battled back hard and threw everything at Surrey forcing a series of five corners that Surrey somehow managed to scramble away. United could only manage two quick counter-attacks during this time and striker Dave Hleucka was unable to connect on two clear scoring opportunities. Pegasus deservedly tied up the game in the thirtieth minute a scramble in the penalty area resulted in the ball squirting free enabling Pegasus striker Laurent Scaglione to poke the ball into the open net. However, Surrey bounced back from this setback and shortly before the half a quick counter-attack produced another outnumbered rush and this time Janzen beat his defender and steered a perfect pass into the path of the unmarked Clayton Dobbin who hammered a low left shot into the corner of the net from twenty yards.

At the half-time break United made a couple of subtle substitutions and created a great opening for midfielder Todd Stauber who clipped his shot wide of the upright. However, after some constant pressure United’s endeavour was rewarded when right midfielder Gareth Wilkshire outpaced the defender scampered down the right and fired over a low cross. Janzen who was driving to the net beat both the defender and the keeper to the ball and clipped a first time volley into the net to give Surrey a two-goal lead. United continued to dominate and although Pegasus valiantly threw men forward in search of a goal they were denied any clear cut chances by a strong and determined United back-line. Surrey rounded out the scoring at the eightieth minute when Dobbin broke clear down the left, drew keeper London before squaring the ball to Cory Janzen who tapped it into the gaping goal to complete his hat-trick and win the coveted PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD.

In Masters action, our defending provincial champion team beat Total Marine Celtic 4-1 at Cloverdale Athletic park on Sunday to win a spot in the final for the fourth successive year. United striker Murray Howes once again opened the scoring midway through the opening frame with a magnificent header to give United the lead at the break. Howes then increased the lead with another header early in the second half. Celtic made it interesting by grabbing a goal half way through the second frame but United responded quickly with a goal by Kelly Bey to eliminate any thoughts the visitors may have had in staging a late comeback. United rounded out the scoring when Brian Cuthbert rose like a salmon to head home a measured cross.

Following, the masters game, the also defending provincial champion Under 21, beat last year’s finalists Sikh Temple 3-2 in a nail biting game at Cloverdale. Surrey, who were riddled with injuries and missing some key players started the game brilliantly and opened the scoring after forty seconds. Full back Matt Osborne fired over a cross from the right, for striker Craig Riley, who controlled the ball with his back to goal, turned quickly and fired a low shot into the corner of the net from eighteen yards. The game then flowed back and forth with some highly entertaining action and with both sides having goal bound efforts beaten out by their respective keepers. After 30 minutes Sikh temple tied up the game from a broken play when one of their forwards pounced on the loose ball to fire home from inside the penalty area. Eight minutes later United regained the lead with a magnificent goal when Riley chest controlled a perfect cross from Osborne and spectacularly volleyed the ball into the roof of the net. Just before the half time whistle Sikh Temple must have thought they had equalized when from a corner their midfielder volleyed the ball towards the net but United defender David Gingell stuck out a leg to block the shot on the goal-line.
At the start of the second half United again struck in the first minute when Jordan Gibbs pounced on a defensive mistake and lashed the ball home from fifteen yards. The visitors came roaring back pinning United back on their heels for long periods of pressure but United defended determinedly and although they suffered a nail biting last 5 minutes after Sikh temple pulled a goal back they hung on for the win that sends them to the final for the second successive year.

The United hopes of making it 4 for 4 were dashed when the United ladies were totally outplayed by a Burnaby Canadians team that were definitely more focused on winning and handed United their biggest ever loss with a 6-1 thrashing. United’s performance lacked the passion, grit and guts that were displayed by the men’s teams which have been the hallmark of Surrey United for many years. It would be too easy to dismiss the lacklustre and poor effort as a “just one of those days when everything went wrong performance” as United’s problems have been all too evident since a loss to SBBA in cup play and a fortunate last minute win against Burnaby “B” in provincial cup qualifying play. The result wasn’t just disappointing it was embarrassing but take nothing away from Burnaby, they were superior in every department by a country mile.