After a very patchy start to the season due to the bad weather, the GM Outlaws men’s soccer team were back in action and on the road in Vernon to take on Peter’s Tirecraft.
The Outlaws took the field still looking for their first win of the season; they started a little apprehensive but quickly grew into the game.
The first half was very evenly matched, with neither team creating too many chances, and the majority of the possession remaining in the midfield area.
The Outlaws’ best source of attack was coming down the right- hand side; however, they never quite found that decisive final ball to get themselves on the score sheet. With around five minutes to go in the first half, the Outlaws’ back line misjudged a long ball from the opposition’s goalkeeper which their striker took advantage of and slotted a nice finish past the unfortunate goalkeeper Micah Schut, who had had very little to do in the entire half.
The half-time whistle blew and the Outlaws went in to the break trailing 1-0.
The second half got underway and the Outlaws were on the front foot right from the get go, and were rewarded on the hour mark when Ahmad Zakreet gathered possession of the ball inside the Tirecraft half before beating a man and unleashing a fierce driver from 35 yards out. The ball found the top corner above the helpless dive of the goalkeeper.
From this point, the game could have gone either way as it became more stretched with both teams looking for the winning goal.
With 10 minutes to go, Tirecraft managed to attain the breakthrough both teams were hungry for under very controversial circumstances.
A nice play just outside the box allowed one of the Tirecraft midfielders to get a shot off which was saved by Shut on his right-hand side. The ball bounced to one of the attackers who then slotted it home from six yards out.
The referee’s assistant at this point had his flag raised for offside, but after a short discussion between the referee and his assistant, the goal was given, much to the confusion of all the Outlaws’ players.
The Outlaws didn’t allow this to deter them as they continued to press for the equalizer which came agonizingly close.
Some nice link-up play down the right- hand side between Josiah Schut and Greg Burns ended with the latter taking a shot from a tight angle just inside the 18-yard box which narrowly missed the far top corner.
Despite their best efforts, the Outlaws couldn’t get the goal they worked for and the full-time whistle drew the game to a close, with Peters Tirecraft taking the narrow 2-1 victory.
The Outlaws travel to Vernon to take on last year’s league winners, Turn Key, on Wednesday, May 31.
