With eyes on third spot with two weeks left, the Vernon Celtic showed up locked, loaded and determined to get a solid result Monday night at Marshall Field #5.
The Celtics delivered after a short losing skid with a 4-1 victory over third-place Peoples Insulation in Okanagan Men’s 35+ Soccer League action.
A strong rush from Jesse Knight led to the Celtics’ opening goal in the first half when he was taken down in front of the net. Bryan Schenker converted the ensuing penalty kick.
Right after the break, the visitors from Kelowna leveled the game after a breakaway, which turned out to be their only opportunity of the match.
The Celtic got back to work and took the lead back when Geoff Straight sent a high, right-footed shot inside the far post. After that, the Celtic played their best 30 minutes of the season, pressing all over the field and knocking the ball around as only the Spanish national team does.
Schenker extended the lead on a solo run with 15 minutes remaining. The final Celtic goal came two minutes from time after a fluent passing combination ended with an easy tap-in by Graeme McGee.
The 8-5-2 Celtic defence – led by Jason Beck, Jesse Knight, Volker Otto and Dave Dobernigg – was rock-solid all night, making sure stand-in keeper Ryan Sharp was kept out of trouble. Peoples dipped to 8-4-2.
Tiremen turn back Lake Country
Vernon Kal Tire gutted out their finest game of the season in a 4-3 win over Lake Country Variform in 35+ league play Monday night at Marshall #2.
Kal Tire (2-11-2) went up early with some great ball movement up the middle and a great finish by Darren Nobrega.
Shortly after, David Broadhurst connected on a penalty kick before Lake Country replied on a nice solo effort.
Kal Tire’s Pat Varley, from the back end, brought the ball up through the middle, and past several defenders, before finishing with a brilliant strike to put the Tiremen up 3-1.
Lake Country took advantage of a defensive miscommunication to pop in a second goal.
Nobrega, with some great passing by Simon Woodward, Ross Holton and Glenn Allen, struck home his second of the night to make it 4-2. Lake Country (6-7-2) added a late penalty kick.
Stars sink Ogopogos
Vernon Silver Stars shaded Big O Tire/Turn-Key Ogopogos 1-0 in a thrilling Capri Insurance Men’s 45+ Soccer League derby match Monday night at Marshall Field #3.
The Stars scored in the eighth minute off a hand ball call on defender Paul Hunter, who was helplessly struck by a blistering free kick by Stephen Fitzpatrick. Steve Coombs, who just missed on a header chance three minutes earlier, made no mistake and blasted the penalty kick in the corner past keeper Yogi Kongsdorf.
The match was an awesome battle with both teams having incredible chances, but with no Christine Sinclair results.
Stars’ keeper Ted Lurkins made an Olympic-type diving save and pushed a howitzer by Henry Czerwonka off the post, on a breakaway late in the game. Both teams traded crossbar chances with newlywed Rick Danyluk of the Stars striking wood twice.
Camels score late for draw
The Leko Precast Camels scored with one second remaining to gain a 1-1 tie with North Country Appraisals Kickers at Kettle Valley in Kelowna.
Fritz Berenyi scored with five minutes left to give North Country the lead. However, after poor marking by North Country and a great shot by Dave Marshall, the game ended up as a draw.
It was a spirited game with both teams missing several key players. The Camels are 12-4-1, the Kickers 8-5-4.
Harry De Haas scored twice as the Rented Mules bounced Bosman Accounting 5-0 at Marshall #1.
Andreas Deitrich, Mike Hrzic and Dewayne Robinson also tallied for the 6-9-2 Mules, who clicked twice on penalty kicks. Bosman dipped to 4-13 with no sustained pressure on stellar keeper Blair Forrest.
Second-place Kelowna IGA showed up with 11 players and sniper Rich Woodhouse played in net carrying a calf strain but still pulled off a 4-0 shutout over host Salmon Arm McIsaac & Co.
Salmon Arm stand-in keeper Johaness Schneider made some clutch saves in a scoreless first half, while IGA weathered the early storm as Salmon Arm poured on the pressure.
The IGA boys (15-1-1) came out determined not to give up any points in their title race. Lionel Hoffman broke the deadlock at 60 minutes with a well-placed header from a Jim Kruiper cross.
Kruiper then buried a precision free kick into the right corner.
Salmon Arm coughed up a penalty from a slide tackle in the box, which Tony Gonzales calmly converted in the 70th minute. Hoffman capitalized on a mix-up in the 7-8-2 Salmon Arm defence to complete the scoring.
Chris Purnell (2) and Neil McNeil handled the offence as Lake Country beat Pushor Mitchell Advocates 3-0 at Mission 69 Field. The Lakers improved to 9-6-2. The Advocates are 5-10-2.
The Rutland Spirit grounded the shortstaffed Brandt’s Creek Pub 3-0 at Parkinson 9 Field, and Penticton United slammed Cantinas Pub 9-0.
