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2011-12-19
PREMIER DIVISION – WEEK 15
A total of 9 Premier Division matches were played this past week—3 make-up games and 6 Day 15 games. As a result of their mid-week loss to Surrey United, the previously undefeated West Van FC dropped out of first place while the reigning Provincial Cup champions—ICST Pegasus—became the new leaders. It should be noted, however, that the former Trollers have a game in hand and could easily reclaim possession of first place with a victory over the Richmond FC Hibernians. At the bottom of the table, Norvan Pacific and Westside FC remained in the dreaded relegation zone, while ICSF Inter slipped further down the ladder.
RICHMOND FC HIBERNIANS - WESTSIDE FC 2-0: On Tuesday evening, at Hugh Boyd School in Richmond, a rather premature ‘relegation-avoidance’ match took place between two of the bottom feeders in the VMSL Premier Division: the hosting Richmond Hibernians and the visiting Westside FC. The match—a Day 13 make-up game—was a hard-fought affair with neither team being able to establish any dominance. The Hibernians almost took the lead right from the opening kick-off when midfielder Matt Rota sent striker Brad Caldwell on a breakaway with a clever pass. However, Westside’s goalkeeper—Rowan Anders—faced the challenge brilliantly and pulled off a great save. Midway through the first half, Richmond FC took the lead when midfielder Peter Chivers took advantage of a poor clearance and instinctively blasted the ball into the bottom corner of the Westside net from well outside the penalty area. The Westsiders bounced back and almost knotted the score a few minutes later, but Peter Bow inexplicably missed the net from close range. Near the end of the first half, the Hibernians came close to doubling their lead when yet another fine cross by Matt Rota found an unmarked Alan Chivers at the far post. Unfortunately for Chivers, and the rest of the Richmond clan, his shot sailed well over the crossbar and out of danger. Very early in the second half, the Hibernians once again came close to scoring their second goal when Geoff Salt picked up a loose ball well outside the penalty area, but watched agonizingly as his dipping volley narrowly missed the far post. Once again, Westside FC bounced back and nearly tied things up shortly thereafter when Gavin Barrett’s wicked strike bounced off the post. As luck would have it, Richmond FC counter-attacked immediately thereafter as Brad Caldwell sent newly-signed Chase Wickham in on goal with a clever pass. Wickham, after rounding a Richmond defender, proceeded to slip the ball into the back of the net for the insurance marker. Richmond goalkeeper Luke O’Shea turned in a very solid and composed performance and fully deserved the shutout, while central defenders Stu Walters and Mike Revell—as well as midfielders Geoff Salt and Peter Chivers—also performed admirably in a winning cause. Despite the loss, Westside midfielders Val Mas and David Andreychuk played remarkably well, while defender Hee Young Chung was rock-solid throughout the contest.
SURREY UNITED FIREFIGHTERS - WEST VAN FC 2-1: On Wednesday evening, at Cloverdale Athletic Park in Surrey, two of the top teams in the Premier Division—the hosting Surrey United Firefighters and the visiting West Van FC—faced off with the all-important 3 points on the line. At the end of the day, the home team walked away with a hard-earned victory, a result that improves Surrey United’s chances of winning the coveted Premier Division title. The Firefighters almost took the lead early in the match when Angus Burke’s long-range shot curled just wide of the upright. Late in the first half, however, West Van FC took the lead when Jesse Fetterley took advantage of a poor back-pass by Surrey’s Nick Perugini and easily scored the opening goal past a bewildered Paul Shepherd, the Firefighters’ goalkeeper. Surrey United battled back tenaciously and knotted the score just before the halftime whistle when a well-taken free-kick by Steve Kindel found former Whitecap teammate Jeff Clarke at the far post. The former Whitecaps’ captain then proceeded to hammer the ball into the back of the net for the all-important equalizer. The game continued to be a back and forth affair during the second frame, but it was Surrey United that managed to score the vital winning goal at the 61st minute mark with Steve Kindel once again involved in the play. On this occasion, Kindel’s corner-kick was deposited into the net by Vince Stewart from close range. At this juncture, the former Trollers threw caution to the wind and attacked relentlessly for the remainder of the game. However, goalscoring chances by Jesse Fetterley, Ryan Glanville, Justin Wallace, and Paul Dailly all went awry and, in the end, the Firemen walked away with the victory. Needless to say, defender Steve Kindel and midfielder Jeff Clarke played extremely well in a winning cause for Surrey United, while league-leading goalscorer Angus Burke was a constant threat to the West Van backline. For West Van FC, forward Jesse Fetterley, veteran midfielder Paul Dailly, defender Tim Perry, and goalkeeper Hide` Ozawa also performed admirably throughout the entire match.
ICST PEGASUS – ROVERS UNITED 2-0: Also on Wednesday evening, at Newton Athletic Park in Surrey, another make-up game took place, this one between the hosting Rovers United and ICST Pegasus. The defending Provincial Cup champions—ICST Pegasus—got off to a shaky start, giving the ball away in dangerous areas on a few occasions. Fortunately for the Pegasus lads, goalkeeper Amar Dhinsa rose to the occasion with a couple of excellent saves—on shots Andrew Celenza and Desmond Tachie. However, as the game progressed, the visitors found their rhythm and took control of the match. In fact, the final score could have been more emphatic had it not been for some outstanding goalkeeping on the part of the Rovers’ Garth Lagasse, as well as some poor finishing by the Pegasus forwards. Pegasus took the lead at the 30th minute mark when forward Jag Gill raced in on goal on a partial breakaway and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area. Unfortunately for Gill, the ball bounced off the goalpost but, fortunately for ICST Pegasus, Azad Palani picked up the rebound and easily tapped the ball into the back of the Rovers’ net for what proved to be the winning goal. ICST Pegasus could easily have increased its lead during the remainder of the first half, but midfielder Chetan Jhooty narrowly missed the target on two separate occasions. In the second half, ICST Pegasus kept pressing and, once again, squandered numerous opportunities to put the game out of the Rovers’ reach, on shots by Azad Palani, Reynold Stewart, Jag Gill, Niko Marcina, and Andrew Reed. Finally, at about the 75th minute mark, forward Reynold Stewart was sent in on goal on a breakaway by a superlative pass on the part of Diaz Kambere. Stewart made no mistake in finishing off the play with a left-footed half-volley, a shot that gave Garth Lagasse no chance whatsoever. Shortly thereafter, the Rovers came close to narrowing the margin, but Jason Pierotti’s close-range shot sailed over the crossbar. Pegasus’ forward Jag Gill deserves special mention for his indomitable performance as he worked tirelessly for the entire 90 minutes. Defenders Paul Bahia and Diaz Kambere also performed very well, as did goalkeeper Amar Dhinsa as he earned the clean-sheet. For the Rovers, midfielders Jeff Rogers and Bobby Jhutty worked hard during the whole game, while—as mentioned earlier—goalkeeper Garth Lagasse came up with a few outstanding saves and managed to keep the score respectable. ICST Pegasus’ unbeaten streak thus increases to 10 games as the Provincial Cup champions have compiled 7 victories and 3 draws since returning from the Canadian Nationals in Montreal.
SURREY UNITED FIREFIGHTERS - ICST PEGASUS 0-0: On Saturday, at Cloverdale Athletic Park in Surrey, two of the top teams in the VMSL’s Premier Division faced off in search of the all important 3 points. However, the reigning VMSL Premier Division champions—Surrey United Firefighters—and the defending BC Provincial Cup champions—ICST Pegasus—had to settle for a scoreless draw, a result that must be disappointing to both teams. The ‘Surrey Derby’ was a very hard-fought affair as both teams tried desperately to lay claim to all 3 points. At the end of the day, however, the tie was probably a fair result. Early in the game, ICST Pegasus had an excellent scoring chance when Chetan Jhooty’s cross was headed towards the Surrey United net by Azad Palani. However, goalkeeper Paul Shepherd came up with an outstanding save—the first of several during the rest of the match. Much to Pegasus’ chagrin, Omari Aldridge picked up the rebound but misfired his subsequent shot from very close range. Shortly thereafter, it was the Firefighters’ turn to almost take the lead when Liam Millar unleashed a powerful drive from the edge of the penalty area, only to have the crossbar get in the way! The rest of the first half consisted of some exciting end-to-end action, but some excellent goalkeeping on the part of Pegasus’ Amar Dhinsa and Surrey United’s Paul Shepherd kept the game scoreless till the halftime whistle. Early in the second half, a great cross from former Whitecap Steve Kindel found a wide open Sean Einarsson, whose diving header was brilliantly saved by Amar Dhinsa. Midway through the second half, Surrey United missed the best opportunity to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty kick for a hand-ball infraction by Paul Bahia—off a Steve Kindel corner-kick. Playing-coach Niall Thompson stepped up to the plate and took the initial penalty kick, a shot that was saved by Amar Dhinsa. However, the referee called a re-take of the spot shot since Dhinsa had moved off the goal-line before it was taken. Surrey’s Vince Stewart took the subsequent re-take and sailed his shot over the net. Immediately after that, it was Pegasus’ turn to miss a golden opportunity as Reynold Stewart—after having demonstrated some excellent skills—cut the ball back onto the path of Adam Costley, whose point-blank shot was miraculously saved by Paul Shepherd. Defender, Diaz Kambere, midfielder Adam Costley, and goalkeeper Amar Dhinsa played extremely well for ICST Pegasus during the entire match, while Surrey United’s defender Steve Kindel and goalkeeper Paul Shepherd deserve special mention for their superlative performances. Despite the disappointing tie, ICST Pegasus climbs to sole possession of first place, with a 9-5-1 record, while Surrey United is now in 4th place, with 26 points out of 15 games.
ICSF INTER - WESTSIDE FC 0-0: Also on Saturday, at Adanac Park in Vancouver, two struggling teams in desperate need of points—ICSF Inter and Westside FC—met and, after a rather poorly played 90 minutes, had to settle for a 0-0 tie. Needless to say, the last place Westsiders needed the points the most as they are mired in last place in the Premier Division standings. Westside FC got off to a promising start and nearly took the lead in the early stages of the match when Gavin Barrett—after beating a couple of ICSF defenders—sailed a sharp-angled shot over the crossbar. Shortly thereafter, ICSF Inter responded in kind as Pavi Dhillon missed a golden opportunity to give his team the lead, but missed the net from close range. The remainder of the first half consisted of a series of half chances, midfield battles, and yellow cards being issued by the referee for a variety of reasons. Early in the second half, ICSF Inter seemed to take control of the match and created a few goalscoring opportunities, chances that all went awry. On one occasion, Phil Lensky raced in on goal
on a breakaway, but barely missed the net with his close-range shot. Shortly thereafter, it was Joseph Marrello’s turn to miss a golden opportunity as he slumbled before taking a shot. However, Inter’s pressure ceased midway through the second half when young midfielder Luigi Pantusa was sent off for having received his second caution of the contest. Westside FC took advantage of the situation and pressed hard in search of what would have been the game winner. However, Brian Reems was unable to convert a couple of excellent opportunities as he sent his header just over the crossbar and, soon thereafter, fired a far-post shot wide of the target. A few minutes later, Westside FC was also reduced to 10 men when Wyatt Seddon-Johnston was sent off for also having accumulated 2 yellow cards. The rest of the game was scrappy and uneventful and, at the end of the day, a 0-0 final result seemed to be a fair one. Defensively, Steve Johnson and Eland Bronstein played extremely well for Westside FC, helping goalkeeper Rowan Anders earn the clean-sheet. Midfielder Nick Graham also performed admirably for the Westsiders as he worked tirelessly throughout the entire match. For the ‘Italians’ the defensive trio of Sheldon Maistry, Jesse Dhami, and Matt Judd performed very well in aiding and abetting goalkeeper Dennis Kindel as he recorded the shutout. The tie helps neither team as Westside FC remains in last place—with a 2-3-10 record—while ICSF Inter drops to 10th place, with only 14 points from 15 games.
COLUMBUS FC - NORVAN PACIFIC 5-1: On Saturday, at Confederation Park in North Vancouver, Columbus FC trounced the hosting Norvan Pacific by an emphatic 5-1 margin, thus remaining in sole possession of third place. Despite the fact that the ‘Italians’ dominated the match for virtually the entire 90 minutes, it was Norvan Pacific that opened the scoring early in the match when Dave O’Connor’s free kick was redirected towards the Columbus net by Terry Davies. After the initial shot was blocked, Davies picked up his own rebound and slotted the ball home for the go-ahead goal. Columbus bounced back tenaciously and came close to knotting the score on several occasions, but some outstanding goalkeeping on the part of Norvan’s Giancarlo Martino kept his team in the lead till midway through the first half. At this point, Columbus FC finally scored the equalizer as Steve DeBlasio took advantage of a rare miscue by Greg Muir, beat a couple of Norvan defenders before unleashing a wicked—and unstoppable—shot from the edge of the penalty area into the back of the net. Early in the second half Columbus’ midfielder Justin Carvery set up defender Stefano Pannu with a clever through ball. The streaking Pannu made no mistake in finishing off the play with a brilliant shot to the far post. A few minutes later, Columbus FC was awarded a penalty kick for a hand-ball infraction on the part of Tony Paiero, a spot shot that was clinically converted by Steve DeBlasio. To their credit the Norvan players did not give up and tried desperately to get back into the game and had a couple of good chances to score but efforts by Matt Hartwell and Greg Muir were saved by goalkeeper Giordano DiPalma. However, Norvan’s pressure seemed to open the flood gates as Columbus FC counter-attacked lethally. In fact, late in the game, Columbus put the game out of Norvan’s reach with goals by Nisbert Sonson and Jamie Olson. Columbus’ forward Steve DeBlasio was a going concern throughout the match, as he drove the Norvan backline to distraction with his skill and pace. Midfielders Justin Carvery and Jamie Olson also played exceptionally well for Columbus FC, while defenders Stefano Pannu, Graham Smith, Nathan Quan, and Blair Robertson were rock-solid during the entire 90 minutes of play. Columbus FC thus improves its record to 9-2-4, while Norvan Pacific remains in penultimate place, with only 11 points out of 15 games.
WEST VAN FC - ROVERS UNITED 2-1: Also on Saturday, at Newton Athletic Park in Surrey, West Van FC returned to its winning ways by defeating the hosting Rovers United by a narrow 2-1 margin. The visiting West Van team totally controlled the tempo of the match during the entire first half and took a well-deserved 2-0 into the dressing room. In fact, the halftime score could have been much more emphatic had it not been for the fact that several West Van chances went awry. In particular, opportunities by Ryan Glanville, Justin Wallace, Jesse Fetterley, and Paul Dailly barely missed the Rovers net. The former Trollers finally took the lead at the 30th minute mark when Jesse Fetterley headed home a patented Paul Dailly corner kick from the edge of the goal area. Ten minutes later, Fetterley was at it again as he chipped the ball over the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Garth Lagasse, after having received a perfect pass from midfielder Brett Nordin. The second half was more evenly played as the Rovers tried desperately to get back into the game. At the 60th minute mark, the Rovers narrowed the margin when a long range shot by Rizal Ganief was inadvertently deflected into the West Van net by Leo Nash, past a bewildered goalkeeper, Marco Durante. At the other end of the pitch, Justin Wallace and Ryan Glanville came close to re-establishing West Van’s 2 goal lead but their shots were cleared off the line—in rapid succession—by defender Colin Phillips. However, the Rovers refused to give up and, just before the full time whistle, almost tied things up when Bobby Jhutty’s low corner kick found its way through the West Van goal area onto the path of Derrick Bassi, whose subsequent shot barely missed the net. West Van’s forwards—Ryan Glanville, Justin Wallace, and in particular Jesse Fetterley—were dangerous threats all game long, while midfielder Mike Winter worked tirelessly throughout the match. West Van’s defensive backline—composed of Max Baessato, Leo Nash, Tim Perry, and Drew Gelley—limited the strong and fast Rovers attackers to only a few chances. For Rovers United, defenders Jeff Rogers, Derrick Bassi, Mike Buikema, and Colin Phillips played quite well despite the loss. West Van FC now finds itself in second place, one point behind ICST Pegasus, albeit with a game in hand. On the other hand, Rovers United slip to 9th place, with a 4-3-8 record.
RICHMOND FC HIBERNIANS - CROATIA SC 2-0: On Sunday, at Adanac Park in Vancouver, the red-hot Richmond Hibernians climbed into 8th place as a result of their 2-0 victory over the struggling Croatia SC. The Croatians got off to a bright start and controlled most of the action in the first part of the opening period and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. Their best chance came at the 20th minute mark when a Johnny Sulentic corner kick was one-timed towards the Richmond net by Dan Rogic, only to have goalkeeper Luke O’Shea come up with a brilliant save. A few minutes later, the Hibernians also came close to opening the scoring when midfielder Geoff Salt fired a fantastic full-volley just over the Croatian crossbar. Very early in the second half, a brilliant cross by Richmond’s Alan Chivers found striker Wes Barrett at the far post, but his subsequent shot was saved by veteran goalkeeper Didar Sandhu. Soon thereafter—at the 55th minute mark—Richmond FC finally took the lead when Alan Chivers and Wes Barrett once again combined, this time successfully. In fact, an excellent pass by Chivers landed at the feet of an unmarked Barrett who proceeded to step around a Croatia defender before calmly slotting the ball into to bottom corner of the net for what proved to be the winning goal. The Croatians fought back tenaciously and came very close to knotting the score a few minutes later when Ivan Prpic raced in on goal on a partial breakaway, only to have Luke O’Shea pull off yet another sensational save. At about the 70th minute mark, O’Shea denied Johnny Sulentic as the former professional blasted a blistering shot towards the Richmond net, a shot that seemed destined for the back of the net. Immediately thereafter, the Hibernians sealed the victory when Chase Wickham finished off yet another excellent cross by Alan Chivers with a rather easy tap-in. Very late in the match, Croatia SC almost narrowed the margin when Ivan Prpic received a through ball from Tomislav Tomic, raced in on goal on a breakaway, rounded the goalkeeper but watched agonizingly as his powerful shot rang off the goalpost and out of harm’s way. Richmond’s midfielders Geoff Salt and Alan Chivers controlled the tempo of the match with poise and finesse, while defenders Stu Walters, Rory Gattens, Marcus Brougham, and Connor Radil were rock-solid during the entire contest. Needless to say, goalkeeper Luke O’Shea fully earned his clean-sheet with a superlative performance. For Croatia SC, midfielders Goran Vitic, Matteo Agnoloni, and Dan Rogic worked tirelessly throughout the match, albeit in a losing cause. The Hibernians thus improve their record to 4-5-5, good for 8th place in the standings, while Croatia SC remains in 7th place with 18 points from 15 games.
DELTA UNITED HURRICANES - COQUITLAM METRO-FORD WOLVES 2-0: Also on Sunday, at John Oliver Park in Delta, the Delta Hurricanes ended the Metro-Ford Wolves’ winning streak by defeating the visitors by a well-earned 2-0 margin. The young Wolves controlled most of the action during the opening 20 minutes, exhibiting some excellent ball control but failing to penetrate through the very tight Delta United defense. About half way through the first half, the Hurricanes seemed to gain their composure and also started to control the ball with skill and poise. In fact, Delta United produced the best goalscoring chances during the latter part of the first half. At about the 30th minute mark, Gary Badesha’s well-placed corner kick was headed towards the Metro-Ford goal by Ryan Dhillon, only to have the strategically placed goalkeeper—Mat Bird—pull off a fine save. Ten minutes later, Delta United once again came close to scoring but Ryan Dhillon’s one-time shot—after having been set up by Cam Hundal—barely missed the target. In the second half, the Hurricanes took over the tempo of the match and fully deserved to score what proved to be the winning goal at the 53rd minute mark when Ryan Dhillon beat a couple of Metro-Ford defenders before setting up Joti Thind, who quickly distributed the ball to a wide-open Harp Khakh who made no mistake in finishing the play from close range. Midway through the second half, Metro-Ford came close to tying things up when a Carlo Basso flick-on found a wide open Brayden Gant inside the penalty area. Unfortunately for Gant, and the rest of the Wolves, his subsequent close-range shot rang off the goalpost and out of danger. At the 85th minute mark, Delta United sealed the victory when Cam Hundal dribbled by a couple of Metro-Ford defenders and found a wide-open Harp Khakh who, once again, brilliantly slotted the ball into the back of the net. Defenders Joey Brar and Jason Gill were towers of strength in the Delta United backline, making life rather easy for goalkeeper Drew Smiley as he recorded the clean-sheet. Midfielders Cam Hundal, Harp Khakh, Ryan Dhillon, and Harry Lakhan also played very well for the Hurricanes as they controlled the middle of the park for most of the contest. The well-deserved victory draws the Hurricanes one point closer to the Wolves in the Premier Division standings with a record of 6-4-5. Metro-Ford, on the other hand, drops to 5th place with 23 points out of 15 games.
TEAM OF THE WEEK: SURREY UNITED FIREFIGHTERS for their excellent performance in defeating the league-leading West Van FC by a narrow, and hard-fought 2-1 margin. Led by the outstanding efforts of forward Angus Burke and former Whitecaps Steve Kindel and Jeff Clarke the Firefighters battled hard all game long and, finally, came away with the hard-earned and all-important victory. During the week, the Firefighters were also able to hold the powerful BC Provincial Cup champions--ICST Pegasus--to a scoreless draw.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: West Van FC’s forward JESSE FETTERLEY for his 3-goal performance this past week. Fetterley scored his team’s lone goal in a heart-breaking 2-1 loss to arch-rivals Surrey United and then scored both his team’s goals in their 2-1 victory over Rovers United. All three goals were things of beauty! For his outstanding performances this past week, JESSE FETTERLEY will receive a prize of a pizza for two, compliments of THE GOLDEN BOOT CAFFE`. The prize is available up to 2012-01-18.
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PREMIER DIVISION – WEEK 15
A total of 9 Premier Division matches were played this past week—3 make-up games and 6 Day 15 games. As a result of their mid-week loss to Surrey United, the previously undefeated West Van FC dropped out of first place while the reigning Provincial Cup champions—ICST Pegasus—became the new leaders. It should be noted, however, that the former Trollers have a game in hand and could easily reclaim possession of first place with a victory over the Richmond FC Hibernians. At the bottom of the table, Norvan Pacific and Westside FC remained in the dreaded relegation zone, while ICSF Inter slipped further down the ladder.
RICHMOND FC HIBERNIANS - WESTSIDE FC 2-0: On Tuesday evening, at Hugh Boyd School in Richmond, a rather premature ‘relegation-avoidance’ match took place between two of the bottom feeders in the VMSL Premier Division: the hosting Richmond Hibernians and the visiting Westside FC. The match—a Day 13 make-up game—was a hard-fought affair with neither team being able to establish any dominance. The Hibernians almost took the lead right from the opening kick-off when midfielder Matt Rota sent striker Brad Caldwell on a breakaway with a clever pass. However, Westside’s goalkeeper—Rowan Anders—faced the challenge brilliantly and pulled off a great save. Midway through the first half, Richmond FC took the lead when midfielder Peter Chivers took advantage of a poor clearance and instinctively blasted the ball into the bottom corner of the Westside net from well outside the penalty area. The Westsiders bounced back and almost knotted the score a few minutes later, but Peter Bow inexplicably missed the net from close range. Near the end of the first half, the Hibernians came close to doubling their lead when yet another fine cross by Matt Rota found an unmarked Alan Chivers at the far post. Unfortunately for Chivers, and the rest of the Richmond clan, his shot sailed well over the crossbar and out of danger. Very early in the second half, the Hibernians once again came close to scoring their second goal when Geoff Salt picked up a loose ball well outside the penalty area, but watched agonizingly as his dipping volley narrowly missed the far post. Once again, Westside FC bounced back and nearly tied things up shortly thereafter when Gavin Barrett’s wicked strike bounced off the post. As luck would have it, Richmond FC counter-attacked immediately thereafter as Brad Caldwell sent newly-signed Chase Wickham in on goal with a clever pass. Wickham, after rounding a Richmond defender, proceeded to slip the ball into the back of the net for the insurance marker. Richmond goalkeeper Luke O’Shea turned in a very solid and composed performance and fully deserved the shutout, while central defenders Stu Walters and Mike Revell—as well as midfielders Geoff Salt and Peter Chivers—also performed admirably in a winning cause. Despite the loss, Westside midfielders Val Mas and David Andreychuk played remarkably well, while defender Hee Young Chung was rock-solid throughout the contest.
SURREY UNITED FIREFIGHTERS - WEST VAN FC 2-1: On Wednesday evening, at Cloverdale Athletic Park in Surrey, two of the top teams in the Premier Division—the hosting Surrey United Firefighters and the visiting West Van FC—faced off with the all-important 3 points on the line. At the end of the day, the home team walked away with a hard-earned victory, a result that improves Surrey United’s chances of winning the coveted Premier Division title. The Firefighters almost took the lead early in the match when Angus Burke’s long-range shot curled just wide of the upright. Late in the first half, however, West Van FC took the lead when Jesse Fetterley took advantage of a poor back-pass by Surrey’s Nick Perugini and easily scored the opening goal past a bewildered Paul Shepherd, the Firefighters’ goalkeeper. Surrey United battled back tenaciously and knotted the score just before the halftime whistle when a well-taken free-kick by Steve Kindel found former Whitecap teammate Jeff Clarke at the far post. The former Whitecaps’ captain then proceeded to hammer the ball into the back of the net for the all-important equalizer. The game continued to be a back and forth affair during the second frame, but it was Surrey United that managed to score the vital winning goal at the 61st minute mark with Steve Kindel once again involved in the play. On this occasion, Kindel’s corner-kick was deposited into the net by Vince Stewart from close range. At this juncture, the former Trollers threw caution to the wind and attacked relentlessly for the remainder of the game. However, goalscoring chances by Jesse Fetterley, Ryan Glanville, Justin Wallace, and Paul Dailly all went awry and, in the end, the Firemen walked away with the victory. Needless to say, defender Steve Kindel and midfielder Jeff Clarke played extremely well in a winning cause for Surrey United, while league-leading goalscorer Angus Burke was a constant threat to the West Van backline. For West Van FC, forward Jesse Fetterley, veteran midfielder Paul Dailly, defender Tim Perry, and goalkeeper Hide` Ozawa also performed admirably throughout the entire match.
ICST PEGASUS – ROVERS UNITED 2-0: Also on Wednesday evening, at Newton Athletic Park in Surrey, another make-up game took place, this one between the hosting Rovers United and ICST Pegasus. The defending Provincial Cup champions—ICST Pegasus—got off to a shaky start, giving the ball away in dangerous areas on a few occasions. Fortunately for the Pegasus lads, goalkeeper Amar Dhinsa rose to the occasion with a couple of excellent saves—on shots Andrew Celenza and Desmond Tachie. However, as the game progressed, the visitors found their rhythm and took control of the match. In fact, the final score could have been more emphatic had it not been for some outstanding goalkeeping on the part of the Rovers’ Garth Lagasse, as well as some poor finishing by the Pegasus forwards. Pegasus took the lead at the 30th minute mark when forward Jag Gill raced in on goal on a partial breakaway and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area. Unfortunately for Gill, the ball bounced off the goalpost but, fortunately for ICST Pegasus, Azad Palani picked up the rebound and easily tapped the ball into the back of the Rovers’ net for what proved to be the winning goal. ICST Pegasus could easily have increased its lead during the remainder of the first half, but midfielder Chetan Jhooty narrowly missed the target on two separate occasions. In the second half, ICST Pegasus kept pressing and, once again, squandered numerous opportunities to put the game out of the Rovers’ reach, on shots by Azad Palani, Reynold Stewart, Jag Gill, Niko Marcina, and Andrew Reed. Finally, at about the 75th minute mark, forward Reynold Stewart was sent in on goal on a breakaway by a superlative pass on the part of Diaz Kambere. Stewart made no mistake in finishing off the play with a left-footed half-volley, a shot that gave Garth Lagasse no chance whatsoever. Shortly thereafter, the Rovers came close to narrowing the margin, but Jason Pierotti’s close-range shot sailed over the crossbar. Pegasus’ forward Jag Gill deserves special mention for his indomitable performance as he worked tirelessly for the entire 90 minutes. Defenders Paul Bahia and Diaz Kambere also performed very well, as did goalkeeper Amar Dhinsa as he earned the clean-sheet. For the Rovers, midfielders Jeff Rogers and Bobby Jhutty worked hard during the whole game, while—as mentioned earlier—goalkeeper Garth Lagasse came up with a few outstanding saves and managed to keep the score respectable. ICST Pegasus’ unbeaten streak thus increases to 10 games as the Provincial Cup champions have compiled 7 victories and 3 draws since returning from the Canadian Nationals in Montreal.
SURREY UNITED FIREFIGHTERS - ICST PEGASUS 0-0: On Saturday, at Cloverdale Athletic Park in Surrey, two of the top teams in the VMSL’s Premier Division faced off in search of the all important 3 points. However, the reigning VMSL Premier Division champions—Surrey United Firefighters—and the defending BC Provincial Cup champions—ICST Pegasus—had to settle for a scoreless draw, a result that must be disappointing to both teams. The ‘Surrey Derby’ was a very hard-fought affair as both teams tried desperately to lay claim to all 3 points. At the end of the day, however, the tie was probably a fair result. Early in the game, ICST Pegasus had an excellent scoring chance when Chetan Jhooty’s cross was headed towards the Surrey United net by Azad Palani. However, goalkeeper Paul Shepherd came up with an outstanding save—the first of several during the rest of the match. Much to Pegasus’ chagrin, Omari Aldridge picked up the rebound but misfired his subsequent shot from very close range. Shortly thereafter, it was the Firefighters’ turn to almost take the lead when Liam Millar unleashed a powerful drive from the edge of the penalty area, only to have the crossbar get in the way! The rest of the first half consisted of some exciting end-to-end action, but some excellent goalkeeping on the part of Pegasus’ Amar Dhinsa and Surrey United’s Paul Shepherd kept the game scoreless till the halftime whistle. Early in the second half, a great cross from former Whitecap Steve Kindel found a wide open Sean Einarsson, whose diving header was brilliantly saved by Amar Dhinsa. Midway through the second half, Surrey United missed the best opportunity to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty kick for a hand-ball infraction by Paul Bahia—off a Steve Kindel corner-kick. Playing-coach Niall Thompson stepped up to the plate and took the initial penalty kick, a shot that was saved by Amar Dhinsa. However, the referee called a re-take of the spot shot since Dhinsa had moved off the goal-line before it was taken. Surrey’s Vince Stewart took the subsequent re-take and sailed his shot over the net. Immediately after that, it was Pegasus’ turn to miss a golden opportunity as Reynold Stewart—after having demonstrated some excellent skills—cut the ball back onto the path of Adam Costley, whose point-blank shot was miraculously saved by Paul Shepherd. Defender, Diaz Kambere, midfielder Adam Costley, and goalkeeper Amar Dhinsa played extremely well for ICST Pegasus during the entire match, while Surrey United’s defender Steve Kindel and goalkeeper Paul Shepherd deserve special mention for their superlative performances. Despite the disappointing tie, ICST Pegasus climbs to sole possession of first place, with a 9-5-1 record, while Surrey United is now in 4th place, with 26 points out of 15 games.
ICSF INTER - WESTSIDE FC 0-0: Also on Saturday, at Adanac Park in Vancouver, two struggling teams in desperate need of points—ICSF Inter and Westside FC—met and, after a rather poorly played 90 minutes, had to settle for a 0-0 tie. Needless to say, the last place Westsiders needed the points the most as they are mired in last place in the Premier Division standings. Westside FC got off to a promising start and nearly took the lead in the early stages of the match when Gavin Barrett—after beating a couple of ICSF defenders—sailed a sharp-angled shot over the crossbar. Shortly thereafter, ICSF Inter responded in kind as Pavi Dhillon missed a golden opportunity to give his team the lead, but missed the net from close range. The remainder of the first half consisted of a series of half chances, midfield battles, and yellow cards being issued by the referee for a variety of reasons. Early in the second half, ICSF Inter seemed to take control of the match and created a few goalscoring opportunities, chances that all went awry. On one occasion, Phil Lensky raced in on goal
on a breakaway, but barely missed the net with his close-range shot. Shortly thereafter, it was Joseph Marrello’s turn to miss a golden opportunity as he slumbled before taking a shot. However, Inter’s pressure ceased midway through the second half when young midfielder Luigi Pantusa was sent off for having received his second caution of the contest. Westside FC took advantage of the situation and pressed hard in search of what would have been the game winner. However, Brian Reems was unable to convert a couple of excellent opportunities as he sent his header just over the crossbar and, soon thereafter, fired a far-post shot wide of the target. A few minutes later, Westside FC was also reduced to 10 men when Wyatt Seddon-Johnston was sent off for also having accumulated 2 yellow cards. The rest of the game was scrappy and uneventful and, at the end of the day, a 0-0 final result seemed to be a fair one. Defensively, Steve Johnson and Eland Bronstein played extremely well for Westside FC, helping goalkeeper Rowan Anders earn the clean-sheet. Midfielder Nick Graham also performed admirably for the Westsiders as he worked tirelessly throughout the entire match. For the ‘Italians’ the defensive trio of Sheldon Maistry, Jesse Dhami, and Matt Judd performed very well in aiding and abetting goalkeeper Dennis Kindel as he recorded the shutout. The tie helps neither team as Westside FC remains in last place—with a 2-3-10 record—while ICSF Inter drops to 10th place, with only 14 points from 15 games.
COLUMBUS FC - NORVAN PACIFIC 5-1: On Saturday, at Confederation Park in North Vancouver, Columbus FC trounced the hosting Norvan Pacific by an emphatic 5-1 margin, thus remaining in sole possession of third place. Despite the fact that the ‘Italians’ dominated the match for virtually the entire 90 minutes, it was Norvan Pacific that opened the scoring early in the match when Dave O’Connor’s free kick was redirected towards the Columbus net by Terry Davies. After the initial shot was blocked, Davies picked up his own rebound and slotted the ball home for the go-ahead goal. Columbus bounced back tenaciously and came close to knotting the score on several occasions, but some outstanding goalkeeping on the part of Norvan’s Giancarlo Martino kept his team in the lead till midway through the first half. At this point, Columbus FC finally scored the equalizer as Steve DeBlasio took advantage of a rare miscue by Greg Muir, beat a couple of Norvan defenders before unleashing a wicked—and unstoppable—shot from the edge of the penalty area into the back of the net. Early in the second half Columbus’ midfielder Justin Carvery set up defender Stefano Pannu with a clever through ball. The streaking Pannu made no mistake in finishing off the play with a brilliant shot to the far post. A few minutes later, Columbus FC was awarded a penalty kick for a hand-ball infraction on the part of Tony Paiero, a spot shot that was clinically converted by Steve DeBlasio. To their credit the Norvan players did not give up and tried desperately to get back into the game and had a couple of good chances to score but efforts by Matt Hartwell and Greg Muir were saved by goalkeeper Giordano DiPalma. However, Norvan’s pressure seemed to open the flood gates as Columbus FC counter-attacked lethally. In fact, late in the game, Columbus put the game out of Norvan’s reach with goals by Nisbert Sonson and Jamie Olson. Columbus’ forward Steve DeBlasio was a going concern throughout the match, as he drove the Norvan backline to distraction with his skill and pace. Midfielders Justin Carvery and Jamie Olson also played exceptionally well for Columbus FC, while defenders Stefano Pannu, Graham Smith, Nathan Quan, and Blair Robertson were rock-solid during the entire 90 minutes of play. Columbus FC thus improves its record to 9-2-4, while Norvan Pacific remains in penultimate place, with only 11 points out of 15 games.
WEST VAN FC - ROVERS UNITED 2-1: Also on Saturday, at Newton Athletic Park in Surrey, West Van FC returned to its winning ways by defeating the hosting Rovers United by a narrow 2-1 margin. The visiting West Van team totally controlled the tempo of the match during the entire first half and took a well-deserved 2-0 into the dressing room. In fact, the halftime score could have been much more emphatic had it not been for the fact that several West Van chances went awry. In particular, opportunities by Ryan Glanville, Justin Wallace, Jesse Fetterley, and Paul Dailly barely missed the Rovers net. The former Trollers finally took the lead at the 30th minute mark when Jesse Fetterley headed home a patented Paul Dailly corner kick from the edge of the goal area. Ten minutes later, Fetterley was at it again as he chipped the ball over the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Garth Lagasse, after having received a perfect pass from midfielder Brett Nordin. The second half was more evenly played as the Rovers tried desperately to get back into the game. At the 60th minute mark, the Rovers narrowed the margin when a long range shot by Rizal Ganief was inadvertently deflected into the West Van net by Leo Nash, past a bewildered goalkeeper, Marco Durante. At the other end of the pitch, Justin Wallace and Ryan Glanville came close to re-establishing West Van’s 2 goal lead but their shots were cleared off the line—in rapid succession—by defender Colin Phillips. However, the Rovers refused to give up and, just before the full time whistle, almost tied things up when Bobby Jhutty’s low corner kick found its way through the West Van goal area onto the path of Derrick Bassi, whose subsequent shot barely missed the net. West Van’s forwards—Ryan Glanville, Justin Wallace, and in particular Jesse Fetterley—were dangerous threats all game long, while midfielder Mike Winter worked tirelessly throughout the match. West Van’s defensive backline—composed of Max Baessato, Leo Nash, Tim Perry, and Drew Gelley—limited the strong and fast Rovers attackers to only a few chances. For Rovers United, defenders Jeff Rogers, Derrick Bassi, Mike Buikema, and Colin Phillips played quite well despite the loss. West Van FC now finds itself in second place, one point behind ICST Pegasus, albeit with a game in hand. On the other hand, Rovers United slip to 9th place, with a 4-3-8 record.
RICHMOND FC HIBERNIANS - CROATIA SC 2-0: On Sunday, at Adanac Park in Vancouver, the red-hot Richmond Hibernians climbed into 8th place as a result of their 2-0 victory over the struggling Croatia SC. The Croatians got off to a bright start and controlled most of the action in the first part of the opening period and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. Their best chance came at the 20th minute mark when a Johnny Sulentic corner kick was one-timed towards the Richmond net by Dan Rogic, only to have goalkeeper Luke O’Shea come up with a brilliant save. A few minutes later, the Hibernians also came close to opening the scoring when midfielder Geoff Salt fired a fantastic full-volley just over the Croatian crossbar. Very early in the second half, a brilliant cross by Richmond’s Alan Chivers found striker Wes Barrett at the far post, but his subsequent shot was saved by veteran goalkeeper Didar Sandhu. Soon thereafter—at the 55th minute mark—Richmond FC finally took the lead when Alan Chivers and Wes Barrett once again combined, this time successfully. In fact, an excellent pass by Chivers landed at the feet of an unmarked Barrett who proceeded to step around a Croatia defender before calmly slotting the ball into to bottom corner of the net for what proved to be the winning goal. The Croatians fought back tenaciously and came very close to knotting the score a few minutes later when Ivan Prpic raced in on goal on a partial breakaway, only to have Luke O’Shea pull off yet another sensational save. At about the 70th minute mark, O’Shea denied Johnny Sulentic as the former professional blasted a blistering shot towards the Richmond net, a shot that seemed destined for the back of the net. Immediately thereafter, the Hibernians sealed the victory when Chase Wickham finished off yet another excellent cross by Alan Chivers with a rather easy tap-in. Very late in the match, Croatia SC almost narrowed the margin when Ivan Prpic received a through ball from Tomislav Tomic, raced in on goal on a breakaway, rounded the goalkeeper but watched agonizingly as his powerful shot rang off the goalpost and out of harm’s way. Richmond’s midfielders Geoff Salt and Alan Chivers controlled the tempo of the match with poise and finesse, while defenders Stu Walters, Rory Gattens, Marcus Brougham, and Connor Radil were rock-solid during the entire contest. Needless to say, goalkeeper Luke O’Shea fully earned his clean-sheet with a superlative performance. For Croatia SC, midfielders Goran Vitic, Matteo Agnoloni, and Dan Rogic worked tirelessly throughout the match, albeit in a losing cause. The Hibernians thus improve their record to 4-5-5, good for 8th place in the standings, while Croatia SC remains in 7th place with 18 points from 15 games.
DELTA UNITED HURRICANES - COQUITLAM METRO-FORD WOLVES 2-0: Also on Sunday, at John Oliver Park in Delta, the Delta Hurricanes ended the Metro-Ford Wolves’ winning streak by defeating the visitors by a well-earned 2-0 margin. The young Wolves controlled most of the action during the opening 20 minutes, exhibiting some excellent ball control but failing to penetrate through the very tight Delta United defense. About half way through the first half, the Hurricanes seemed to gain their composure and also started to control the ball with skill and poise. In fact, Delta United produced the best goalscoring chances during the latter part of the first half. At about the 30th minute mark, Gary Badesha’s well-placed corner kick was headed towards the Metro-Ford goal by Ryan Dhillon, only to have the strategically placed goalkeeper—Mat Bird—pull off a fine save. Ten minutes later, Delta United once again came close to scoring but Ryan Dhillon’s one-time shot—after having been set up by Cam Hundal—barely missed the target. In the second half, the Hurricanes took over the tempo of the match and fully deserved to score what proved to be the winning goal at the 53rd minute mark when Ryan Dhillon beat a couple of Metro-Ford defenders before setting up Joti Thind, who quickly distributed the ball to a wide-open Harp Khakh who made no mistake in finishing the play from close range. Midway through the second half, Metro-Ford came close to tying things up when a Carlo Basso flick-on found a wide open Brayden Gant inside the penalty area. Unfortunately for Gant, and the rest of the Wolves, his subsequent close-range shot rang off the goalpost and out of danger. At the 85th minute mark, Delta United sealed the victory when Cam Hundal dribbled by a couple of Metro-Ford defenders and found a wide-open Harp Khakh who, once again, brilliantly slotted the ball into the back of the net. Defenders Joey Brar and Jason Gill were towers of strength in the Delta United backline, making life rather easy for goalkeeper Drew Smiley as he recorded the clean-sheet. Midfielders Cam Hundal, Harp Khakh, Ryan Dhillon, and Harry Lakhan also played very well for the Hurricanes as they controlled the middle of the park for most of the contest. The well-deserved victory draws the Hurricanes one point closer to the Wolves in the Premier Division standings with a record of 6-4-5. Metro-Ford, on the other hand, drops to 5th place with 23 points out of 15 games.
TEAM OF THE WEEK: SURREY UNITED FIREFIGHTERS for their excellent performance in defeating the league-leading West Van FC by a narrow, and hard-fought 2-1 margin. Led by the outstanding efforts of forward Angus Burke and former Whitecaps Steve Kindel and Jeff Clarke the Firefighters battled hard all game long and, finally, came away with the hard-earned and all-important victory. During the week, the Firefighters were also able to hold the powerful BC Provincial Cup champions--ICST Pegasus--to a scoreless draw.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: West Van FC’s forward JESSE FETTERLEY for his 3-goal performance this past week. Fetterley scored his team’s lone goal in a heart-breaking 2-1 loss to arch-rivals Surrey United and then scored both his team’s goals in their 2-1 victory over Rovers United. All three goals were things of beauty! For his outstanding performances this past week, JESSE FETTERLEY will receive a prize of a pizza for two, compliments of THE GOLDEN BOOT CAFFE`. The prize is available up to 2012-01-18.
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