The weekend kicked off once again with a Friday night game when our Masters team visited the first place Surrey FC Firemen Rangers at Newton Athletic Park and came away with a hard earned well deserved point after coming back from a 3-0 deficit. Surrey United were forced to use centre-back Dave Ellenwood in goal (giving regular keeper Angelo Bonato the night off to celebrate the birth of his son). The defending provincial champions, went 1-0 down after some sloppy marking on a corner kick but then United started coming into their own controlling play in the later stages of the 1st half having several shots blocked and cleared from the goal line. However, United unfortunately gave up a 2nd goal shortly before half. Three minutes into the 2nd half, again, after some sloppy defensive work, the home team Rangers went up 3-0. Undaunted, Surrey pressed forward and were rewarded with a classic Murray Howes goal from his head off a well delivered cross. Surrey's 2nd goal was scored off a free kick from Brian Cuthbert when his long looping ball into the penalty area found its way into the back of the net after being mishandled by the Ranger's goalkeeper. United midfielder Doug Muirhead slotted the ball into the net three minutes later only to see it called back on a phantom hand-ball call. With five minutes remaining in the game United completed the deserved comeback when striker Murray Howes notched his second goal of the game. Although not a win, coming back from a 3-0 deficit, certainly showed that you just cannot count out the masters at any time during a game. Unfortunately, the comeback was not without consequences as Dave Harkisson suffered a broken leg in the first half and his presence will be missed for the rest of the season.

The United men’s premier team recorded their fourth successive win to regain first place in their division by beating Columbus Clan at Hastings Bowl and at the same time avenged an earlier season loss. United started brightly and forward Cam Wilson hit the cross-bar in the tenth minute and two minutes later centre-back Graeme Magowan flashed a header wide of the post from a well flighted Sean Crocker corner-kick. Despite the early pressure it was Columbus who opened the scoring when former Surrey veteran Rich Sumner challenged United keeper Drew Smiley on a routine play but somehow the ball eluded the keeper’s grasp and popped loose leaving Sumner the easiest of opportunities. The goal took United right out of their earlier rhythm and Columbus took the game to United for the next fifteen minutes. However, eight minutes before the break United hit back to level the scores with a cracker when from twenty five yards out midfielder Rob Wilson volleyed home a Dave Hleucka cross. In the second half United took over complete control of the game with their more direct style of play and strikers Shawn Blakeway and the speedy Cam Wilson proved to be too much of a handful for the young Columbus defence. Blakeway put United ahead in the sixtieth minute when from close range he hammered the ball into the back of the net after Magowan had headed down another Hleucka cross. Five minutes later Surrey keeper Smiley made amends for his earlier gaff making a point blank reflex save to deny the opposition. From the resultant corner Smiley gathered in the cross and then punted the ball up-field for Cam Wilson to outpace the Columbus defence and then tuck the ball past the advancing Columbus keeper Luca Dalla Pace. Ten minutes before the end United added a fourth when Blakeway tapped in the rebound point after Della Pace could only parry a Sean Crocker volley again off a Hleucka cross. In the dying moments of the game Columbus notched a late consolation goal from Scigliano after United lost possession. United centre-backs Magowan and especially 21year old Luke Ash playing in his fifth VMSL premier season did a magnificent job in marking the usually dangerous Columbus tandem of Scigliano and Alex Elliott out of the game.

The division one game between the same two teams scheduled for the day earlier did not get played as the Columbus Clan team were unable to field a team and therefore forfeited the game to United and in so doing disappointed a number of our young players who in some cases had taken the day off work to be able to play. However, the points from the game keep United 5 points ahead of their nearest challenger Firefighters “B” who they meet next weekend at Cloverdale.

In Under 21 action our lads came up shorthanded losing 3-2 to long time rivals Westside at Hillcrest in Vancouver. Similar to last year’s game United had a considerable amount of the play throughout the first half but hit the woodwork twice and fired a host of chances wide of the target. Westside, on the other hand had fewer chances but built up a 3-0 half-time lead cashing in on two brutal defensive mistakes. Ten minutes into the second half United pulled a goal back when Les Antone pounced on a long clearance by Sean Jensen and outpaced the Westside backline before rounding the advancing keeper and slipping the ball into the empty net. Throughout the second half United piled on the pressure producing several goalmouth scrambles where shots were either cleared off the line, hit the woodwork or were fired wide. With ten minutes of the game remaining Wyatt Seddon-Johnstone made it a one goal game when following another scramble he forced the ball home from close range to set the scene for some final frantic moments. However, the United youngsters were unable to equal the heroics of their Master counterparts and rescue a tie from the game despite what was for the most part an impressive and dominating performance.

The mens division two mens team tied Croatia 4-4 in a very entertaining game at Cloverdale Athletic Park on Sunday. United opened strongly and within twelve minutes had established a two goal lead thanks to a pair of goals by Brendan Wilkinson.

United relaxed somewhat and then surrendered a goal in the 21st minute but held the lead until the interval. After the restart United got rocked themselves by two quick goals in four minutes and found themselves now trailing in a game where they had held a two goal lead. A fine individual effort by Stephen Way at the 66minute mark leveled the scores. Croatia bounced back with another goal at the seventy seven minute mark which set the scenes for an exciting climax to the game which came from the boot of United midfielder Dale Kahri who hammered a rocket from twenty five yards past the visiting keeper to earn United a share of the points.

On the ladies front our Womens premier team visited the rapidly improving Norvan team who were now strengthened by the return of several college players. United started brightly and played some silky smooth approach play but failed to convert the goalscoring chances with Megan Blaker hitting the cross-bar on one opportunity. Midway through the opening frame Norvan scored the opening goal of the game completely against the run of play when from a corner-kick a low shot was deflected past United keeper Stephannie Weston. In the past this situation might have rattled United but since their recent experience at the Nationals they have a much more focused sense of purpose and determination. They continued with their fine possession play and leveled the scores at the 40th minute when Sharon Lehnert notched her seventh goal of the season after some fine link play between Blaker and Bianca Wilkinson. The second half belonged to United striker Natalie Halcro who came on at half time as substitute for Martina Holan-Franko. At the 60th minute Halcro finished off a fine flowing move by hammering a great Jill Stewart cross into the roof of the net. Ten minutes later Halcro added what later became the game winner when she converted a Bianca Wilkinson cross to clinch the three points for United who gave up a late consolation goal to Norvan who converted on a long range free-kick. The win kept United in first place in the division with a four point margin over UBC and a nine point margin over Coquitlam. While UBC have a game in hand on our ladies and Coquitlam has two games in hand these two challengers have to play each other twice with their first meeting coming up next weekend.

Our Ladies Under 21 team received a bye this weekend but still maintain their first place in the standings by a three point margin and also now have a game in hand over their closest challenger.
The ladies division one team didn’t fair as well and were disappointed to lose 3-2 at home to Dukes Shooters with United striker Ellen Malterer scoring two more goals (her 9th & 10th of the season) in the losing cause.

Whilst there were again several great performances this week notably from Shawn Blakeway (two goals for mens division premier), Murray Howes (two goals for mens masters), Ellen Malterer (two goals for ladies Division one) and Brendan Wilkinson (two goals for the mens division two) we have named Luke Ash of the Men’s premier division as this week’s Player of The Week for his outstanding defensive play which helped to send his team back to the top of the division. Each Weekly Winner will have their name entered into a random draw for the monthly prize of for Dinner for Two.