MATCH REPORT

Weekly Roundup - September 6th & 7th

By Marion F Dent
Press Associates

	Player of the Week Sean Kelly VMSL Division One SurreyPremier Women 6-0 PoCo FC September 7, Cloverdale Athletic Park The winning goal... Surrey Premier 3-2 Khalsa Sporting September 6, Cloverdale Athletic Park Click here for multi-photo slideshow Photos by Richard Howes

The opening week of the winter season saw all five of our men’s teams register emphatic victories, outscoring their opponents by a combined margin of 29 to 5. However, our two ladies teams had mixed fortunes with the Premier team joining in the goal fest thumping Poco F.C. 6-0 at Cloverdale while our Ladies division one team lost 5-1 to last year’s league winners Duke Shooters. (Maybe the 10.00am start in Chilliwack could have had something to do with that result).

The first weekend saw the defending provincial champion men’s Premier team register a 3-2 victory against Khalsa (The PCSL powerhouse) at Cloverdale Athletic Park on Saturday. It was a typical scrappy early season game that was for the most part bogged down in midfield but United opened the scoring two minutes before half-time when last year’s league leading scorer Shawn Blakeway opened this season’s account early when he latched onto a headed flick by Dave Hleucka and calmly chipped the ball over the head of the advancing keeper. Khalsa replied fifteen minutes into the second half when their striker successfully converted from the penalty spot after Surrey keeper Drew Smiley had been adjudged to have unfairly brought down another forward in the penalty area. Fifteen minutes later United restored their lead when Rob Wilson finished off some nice interchange play with Hleucka and Blakeway by cracking home a blast from the edge of the penalty area. Khalsa once again tied up the game cashing in on some defensive coverage lapses by United which allowed their striker to latch onto a long punt from the keeper and beat Smiley with a low shot. Similar, to the provincial cup final, there is a certain resiliency and resolve about United these days and with six minutes of the game remaining skipper Joe Deacon notched the game winner by converting from the penalty spot after the kick was awarded for a foul on United midfielder Cory Janzen who was bundled over in the penalty area.

In the first division game between the same two clubs United’s ultra young side and defending champions dominated the play with some attractive eye catching soccer but were not able to convert on their chances until the 35th minute when full back Matt Osborne linked up well with midfielder Maarten Koorn who thumped home a low shot to open the scoring. United’s young squad grew in confidence and five minutes later 18 year old Chris Powell did extremely well to get on the end of a Sean Crocker cross to fire the ball home from close range. The flood gates were opening and early in the second half young striker 16year old Evan Howard kept his “goal a game pre-season goal-scoring streak” intact clipping home a defence-splitting pass from United midfield maestro Sean Kelly. Kelly added the fourth himself, heading home from close range before substitutes Wyatt Seddon-Johnstone, Rohit Kooner and Craig Riley each added a spectacular goal to complete the scoring. Jason Mackenzie recorded the shut-out and whilst he wasn’t often tested he did produce one memorable save somehow stretching to tip a swerving dipping Beckham-like” free-kick“ over the cross-bar.

On Sunday United’s Under 21 side and Challenge cup holders entertained Sapperton U/21 at Cloverdale but unfortunately someone forget to tell the first year Sapperton team that in soccer a team comprises eleven players because the visitors fielded only nine players. United’s well prepared young team was somewhat frustrated at the offside trap tactics of the visitors who in all fairness were forced to resort to such defensive measures. United opened the scoring after fifteen minutes when Evan Howard volleyed home a Sean Kelly cross. Sapperton on a rare raid into United’s half equalized six minutes later. However, after a period of frustration United overcame the offside tactics with some smarter play and centre-back Graeme Webber’s perfectly timed cross sent Kelly racing away and he calmly rounded the keeper and tucked the ball into the net. Wing back Matt Osborne scored a third goal and Kelly added another before half-time to put the result out of reach. In the second half Kelly completed the hat-trick and Matt Osborne added his second with a long range effort that flew into the net from twenty five yards. Similar to Saturday’s first division game the substitutes with good effect to finish off the game and the opposition. Seth Campana, Adam Blois and Sergio Pasqua each displayed some clinical finishing.

The division two men also defending champions were on the road for their season opener against the Croatian classics. However, it was United who produced the classic soccer in registering an impressive 5-0 away victory. Ezra Fenwick opened the scoring at the 22nd minute mark after Josh Possey and Bjorn Wejr had done the spadework. United could have increased their lead but last season’s leading scorer Chris Roots failed to score from the penalty spot. United were awarded another penalty at the 53rd minute when Martin Kelly was upended and this time substitute Avi Yakub made no mistake from the spot. The goal virtually killed off the opposition and United added further goals from Yakub and Fenwick. However, the best goal of the game was saved for the last when big Trevor Tagieff (who had started the game in goal for the unavailable Kevin Woronchuk) came out of net to play in a more accustomed role up front and celebrated by hammering home a twenty five yard howlitzer past the opposing keeper.

The Ladies premier opened their season on Sunday at Cloverdale with only eleven players. However, they quickly signalled their intentions by scoring in the third minute when Diana Artuso hammered home Bianca Wilkinson’s perfect cross to register what held up to be the game winner. Megan Blaker added the second slotting home the ball after a neat passing play involving Geri Donnelly and Artuso. Donnelly’s quick thinking at a free-kick set up Blaker again and she made no mistake hammering the ball into the roof of the net. In the second half despite going down to ten men due to an injury United’s defence looked very impressive holding back the Poco team despite the man disadvantage. Sara Maglio crowned a fine individual performance by scoring from fifteen yards following a great solo run and she was denied a second goal by the woodwork with a similar effort. Megan Blaker completed her hat-trick at the seventy fifth minute and Vanessa Martino rounded out the scoring in the final minute.

Ellen Malterer notched United’s lone goal in a disappointing 5-1 loss away to Chilliwack where United’s much changed and younger side found last year’s division one champions far too experienced for them at this stage of the season. It will understandably take some time for United’s team to gel so let’s be patient and positive about the outlook which let’s can only get better.

The masters team won 4-2 away to a much improved Golden Ears team but regrettably at the time of writing we do not have any further details.

So there were quite a few bona fide contenders for this Week’s PLAYER OF THE WEEK award including Megan Blaker and Matt Osborne but the award goes to Sean Kelly who in two games notched Five Goals and Three Assists.

Each Weekly Winner will have their name entered into a random draw for the month for Dinner for Two.