MATCH REPORT

Weekly Roundup - October 4th & 5th

By Marion F Dent
Press Associates

	Player of the Week Kaitlin Clarke MWSL Division One Metro Division One Women Thump! Surrey 1-2 M & J Selects September 28, Cloverdale

Five of the six teams in action this weekend secured victories with the mens division one team drawing their home game 1-1 against Sporting to lose their 100% win record. The ladies premier game versus SBBA was apparently cancelled due to the Women’s world cup. By some strange fate of the schedule virtually all of our teams were in games against the other top teams in their respective divisions.

The men’s premier team kicked the weekend off playing their final VMSL game against high-flying Sporting Club before leaving for the National Championships. The premier team started tentatively and Sporting enjoyed the balance of the early play and deservedly took the lead at the 15th minute mark when they scored on a long range free-kick that eluded the defensive wall and the clutches of United keeper Drew Smiley. Ten minutes later the visitors increased their lead when a shot from the edge of the area was deflected by a United defender past the unlucky Smiley. Dave Hleucka and Shawn Blakeway were robbed by fine saves from the Sporting keeper before United defender Pete Hjorth headed home a Craig Dalrymple free-kick five minutes before the interval.

The goal produced the necessary spark for United and they played with a lot more conviction in the second half taking the game to the visitors. United tied up the game at the 70th minute mark when a powerful twenty yard shot by Todd Stauber eluded the grasp of the Sporting keeper and found its way into the back of the net. Then, with the game seemingly destined for a tie, United scored on the last kick of the game when Cory Janzen headed home Clayton Dobbin’s free-kick. The win places United atop of their division after 5 games this season and that in itself will act as a major confidence boost for their trip to Quebec.

In the division one game between the same two teams the young United players took a physical beating from their older opponents. United enjoyed most of the territorial advantage in the first half with Sporting looking dangerous on the counter attack. United were thwarted on a number of occasions by some excellent saves by the visiting goalkeeper but did eventually break the deadlock in the seventieth minute when good pressure by Sean Crocker stripped the ball from the defence. He then squared the ball for substitute Seth Campana to steer it into the empty net. However, United were unable to hold out for the win and Sporting grabbed a late equalizer when a shot was deflected past Drew Smiley in the United goal. The tie still keeps the United on top of the standings albeit tied with Sporting but Surrey has a game in hand.

The Under 21 team played at the same time as the division one squad away to first place Croatia in Vancouver. United won the top of the table clash 2-0 thanks to goalkeeper Jason McKenzie who not only registered the shut-out but also helped himself to a pair of assists in the process. His first assist was a long punt up-field that Evan Howard flicked on for Sean Kelly to score from eighteen yards out. The insurance marker came in a similar fashion when Kelly raced onto the ball and hammered a shot which the opposing keeper could only parry and United midfielder Lee Grant following up wisely steered the rebound into the open net.

The divison two mens team also had a top of the table clash against first placed WFC Rangers and won a very physical battle 2-0 thanks to a couple of great individual goals and some solid goalkeeping by Kevin Woronchuk who registered the shut-out. At the fifteen minute mark United midfield general Dale Kahri maintained his current three game scoring streak by scoring a glorious goal when from thirty yards out he noticed the opposing keeper was off his line and chipped the keeper with a vicious swerving dipping shot. Five minutes later Nick Gollogly produced a virtual replica of Kahri’s strike and sent a right foot (usually reserved for standing on) bending and dipping to catch the despairing keeper out again. The game continued to be contested fiercely and there was also a plethora of yellow cards and plenty of spirited play but no further goals.

In Masters action United entertained fellow league leaders Surrey Firefighters in a keenly contested game at Cloverdale where tempers were frayed and ultimately led to a pair of dismissals and numerous bookings. In the first half United should have opened the scoring at the fifteenth minute mark when they were awarded a penalty. However, United squandered that golden opportunity but did grab a goal and a deserved lead before the half when Mike Marini slotted home a low shot from fifteen yards. Midway through the frame Ian Farquhar added a second on a quick counter attack but the Firefighters were in no mood to quit and reduced the deficit two minutes later when they forced home a close range effort following a corner-kick. United restored their two goal margin at the 80th minute following some great work by Murray Howes who then squared the ball For Dave Harkisson to steer the ball into the net. However, fireman responded almost immediately by successfully converting a penalty kick which was awarded when one of their forwards was bundled over in the penalty area. That set the scene for a nail biting final five minutes with the visitors winning a couple of successive corner-kicks but United held firm to register a key 3-2 victory.

In ladies division one action United gutted out perhaps their best effort of the young season to down the SBBA Kaos 3-1 in a highly entertaining game at Cloverdale Athletic Park. United started the game once again with only one substitute but took the early play to the visitors. The United strikers of Ellen Malterer and Kaitlin Clarke have already developed quite a partnership and the duo started things off once again when at the thirteen minute mark Malterer collected a throw-in, beat a defender and fired a perfect pass across the face of the goal to the unmarked Clarke whose first time strike found the back of the wide open net. United looked dangerous going forward and increased their lead after thirty minutes when Danielle Jackle headed home Malterer’s corner-kick. United took their foot off the gas and were punished at the 38th minute when the vistitors capitalized on some indecision in the United defence and reduced the deficit with a close range effort. United, to their credit, responded magnificently and a glorious through ball by Nicole Gertsen sent Clarke racing through and although the keeper saved the initial shot Clarke buried the rebound to seal the deal.

In the second half both teams had some good scoring opportunities with United carrying the balance of play and missing on two glorious chances with the keeper down and out on the plays. Clarke, missed the hat-trick when the ball would not settle down forcing her to roof her shot over the net. However, it was Kaitlin Clarke’s second consecutive two goal a game performance which wins her this week’s player of the week award. Each Weekly Winner will have their name entered into a random draw for the month for Dinner for Two.