Roadrunner Jesse Knight scored twice as the Vernon Celtic toppled Tree Brewing FC of Kelowna 7-4 in Okanagan Men’s 35+ Soccer League play Monday night at Mission 74 Park.
Tree Brewing (1-9-2) were clearly in no mood to be dispatched and came out aggressive and counterpunching, opening the score after five minutes in the soaring heat.
Ten minutes later, Knight took a feed from Bryan Schenker to level the game. Tree Brewing responded right away on a well executed breakaway.
Rodney Goodchild converted a cross from Volker Otto to even things again at halftime. After the break, the 7-3-2 Celtic, who where cheered on by a dozen traveling fans, upped the tempo and took the lead twice with goals from utility midfielders Ryan Leibel and Nolan Clarke.
Tree Brewing responded both times, but after the fifth Celtic goal, scored by Knight, the resistance of the Brewers was finally broken. The Celtic calmly played the ball around and Dave Dobernigg and Schenker rounded out the attack after some skillful give-and-goes.
Vernon Kal Tire fell 10-3 to Sturgeon Hall at Marshall Field #2 in other 35+ action.
Horsting jumpstarts Turn-Key Controls
Turn-Key Controls ambushed Monashee Surveying 6-0 in a make-up North Okanagan Soccer League game Sunday night at Marshall Field.
The determined Turn-Key squad opened the scoring early in the first half when Nolan’s Pharmasave Man of the Match Taylor Horsting converted a penalty kick past keeper Pete Solymosi.
Shortly after, Preston Tucker found Horsting behind the (5-4-3) Monashee defence for the 2-0 goal. Marco Arnold put Turn-Key ahead 3-0 before the half on a cheeky 20-yard free kick.
Tucker converted a goal-mouth scramble for the fourth snipe, while Evan Moore, who was all over the place at centre midfielder, played a great ball to striker Andrew Pool, who placed a through ball to fellow striker Chris Jahnig, who put a well-placed smash past Solymosi.
Solymosi registered a few more big saves before Greg Niemantsverdriet put home a tic-tac-toe goal off a pass from Jahnig. Jeremy Kler earned the well-supported clean sheet in net.
Czerwonka sizzles for Big O Tire
In Capri Insurance 45+ Men’s League action, Henry Czerwonka was the Rogers Sugar Man of the Match as Big O Tire/Turn-Key Controls Ogopogos clipped host Lake Country 2-1 under the lights at Beasley Park.
Czerwonka, an unsung hero, came out of nowhere and started the 7-6 Ogopogos off with a brilliant rush towards the net, and a surprising back pass to defender Rob Ross, who buried a low outside kick into the corner.
Both keepers recorded great saves throughout, and the rushing 5-6-2 Lake Country forwards challenged the Ogopogos all game.
Lake Country later equalized on some nice moves, but Big O Tire made a push upfield and the ball went to Czerwonka, who showed some fancy footwork around a couple of defenders and from outside the 18, blasted a high shot for the winner.
Dave Gould of Lake Country put a long drive just over the Ogopogo net and keeper Yogi Kongsdorf’s outstreched arms in the dying seconds.
Centre defender Leo Nadeau and Ross rated honourable mentions for Big O.
Some crafty veterans helped the Silver Stars ground Bosman Accounting 4-1 at Marshall Field #5.
Added up, their age almost totals 180 years, but they can still get it done. The Stars were led by founding members Ken Rath, Mahmoud Abdel-Kader and Tim Penaluna, who combined to score the all-important final insurance goal.
Penaluna challenged a Bosman forward in the Stars end, stole the ball and slid a nice pass up to Abdel-Kader who then spotted a streaking Rath. Rath faked the first shot to freeze the defender and then made no mistake on his second attempt chipping the ball under the cross bar.
Rath was quoted as saying, “I meant to do that.”
The Stars opened the scoring when Art Renaud picked up a loose ball 20 yards out and deflected his shot in off of a Bosman defender. Just 10 minutes later, Rob Bauml scored on a rocket, roof daddy, from the corner of the 18 when the Stars were awarded a free kick.
Bosman generated some good offence to begin the second half hitting several posts, but were unable to beat keeper Ted Lurkins. Finally, in the 55th minute, Mike Lloyd cleaned up a rebound off the post as a sprawling Stars defender was unable to clear the ball off the back line.
John Matejcka also scored on a great chip shot from 20 yards out to make it 3-1. Pete Richter played a strong game in goal for the accounting crew who dropped to 3-10 while the Stars moved to 5-4-4.
Defenders Brian Eso and Steve Fitzpatrick were stellar for the Stars, sharing Wendy’s Man of the Match honours. Striker Carl McLennan, who missed a few good chances, was the Carl’s Jr. Man of the Match for Bosman.
Howard’s deuce pushes Camels to 11th win
Gord Howard scored twice as the Leko Precast Camels toppled Salmon Arm McIsaac & Co. 3-0 in a testy match at Marshall #1.
Al Murphy finished the scoring on another turnover and buried a 20-yard rocket top shelf. The Humpbacks are 11-2, Salmon Arm 7-5-1.
North Country Appraisals Kickers stretched their win streak to six by crushing Cantinas 7-0 at Mission 71 Field.
Speedster Sergio Sartori had his second straight hat trick, while Fritz Berenyi also scored three times and Randy Bohem scored the other goal on a header. Marty Vincze was rarely tested in picking up the shutout for the 8-4-1 Kickers.
League-leading Penticton United got two goals from Rob Jackson in a 9-1 thumping of Rutland Spirit at at City Park.
Ken Horncastle, Brian Johnson, Rob Gunning, KevinKothlow and Mike Killick also supplied goals for Penticton (12-1). Rutland dropped to 1-11-1.
Second-place Kelowna Marketplace IGA held off the Pushor Mitchell Advocates 3-1 at Mission 69 Park.
Darryl Hazell, on a breakaway, a 45-yard howitzer from Dante Zanata and Larry Kinakin, with a bullet header off a superb Russ Hamer cross, handled the 11-1-1 IGA offence.
The Rented Mules and keeper Blair Forrest recorded their first shutout in a 2-0 win over Brandt’s Creek, leapfrogging their opponents into the seldom coveted 10th spot.
Steve Wilson converted a penalty kick that the keeper almost saved in the 25th minute for the only goal of the first half at Parkinson #9 Field. The Mules (4-7-2) concluded the scoring with 15 minutes to go when Fred Vandergaag bundle home an excellent cross following a free kick.
Brandt’s (4-8-1) pushed hard for a goal in the last 20 minutes, with Steve Frost leading the charge, but the Mules’ defence, anchored by Donovan Hare, was resilient.
