Rodney Goodchild was in a giving mood Wednesday night as Monashee Surveying stopped the Davidson & Co. Dynamite 3-1 in North Okanagan Soccer League play at Marshall Field #4.
Some magical wizardry by the Irishman set up all three goals as the Surveyors improved to 4-2-3, good for sole possession of fourth spot. The Nitros dipped to 2-6-2.
Goodchild sent rookie superstar Daniel Lutsenko on a run though two defenders, only to be denied on a great save by Davidson keeper Ean Ross. Cam Clary, returning from suspension, buried the rebound.
Goodchild, the Okanagan Spirits Man of the Match, then dribbled into the 18-yard box and fed Clary, who then calmly slotted it home. On the third Monashee tally, Goodchild cracked a shot that bounced off a defender and landed on the foot of Lutsenko, who nailed it home.
Davidson answered with a great strike by Patrick Schindler off a corner kick.
Matt McKeown displayed strong but calm play on the Monashee defence. In tradition of Monashee soccer, the Surveyors used a few stand-in keepers.
After a mini-break due to a weather-cancelled game, the Hi-Pro Sportswear Camels FC brushed off the rust and grounded Concept Physio 4-0 at Marshall #2.
With the wind against the Camels in the first half, solid defending was required, with Keefery Joyce and Damian Adams making it difficult in the air as well as with solid tackling.
New recruit Shaun Campbell, replacing his injured brother in goal, had little to do thanks to the Camels’ superb defensive effort.
Nick Pantaleo roamed the midfield breaking up Concept’s play on many occasions. Midway through the half, Fabrice Fanfani sent a hard corner in to the front post and youngster Rudi Goldnik flicked the ball near post, bulging the net.
Concept stepped up the play but there was little in the way of chances. Concept had a few breaks in the second half but Campbell came out and snuffed them out diving to gather the ball.
The slick-passing Camels (4-3-2) scored another as Khiran O’Neill tipped a through ball from Nathan Whitling past keeper Riley Spraggs and it lazily rolled over the line.
Derek Huisken, playing solid at right fullback as usual, started a move from the back which resulted in O’Neill passing a square ball into the six-yard box for the industrious Keenan Jespersen to outpace Concept defenders and keeper to drive in the third.
The Camels polished things off with a cracker – Adams fed the open Whitling just outside the box and he drilled a swerving ball top left corner that no goalkeeper in this hemisphere could have handled.
Turn-Key Controls rallied to gain a 3-3 draw with Eagle Homes Nation of Domination in a third-place showdown at Marshall #1.
Despite controlling possession and play in the early going, Turn-Key quickly fell behind 2-0 off a quick counterattack from Eagle Homes, followed by a goal on a penalty shot.
Turn-Key continued to mount chances but were held off until a well-placed strike from Nolan’s Pharmasave Man of the Match Marco Arnold sailed over the keeper’s head into the net. Turn-Key gave up a costly goal seconds before the half off another counterattack.
Down two goals, the Controls squad mounted a determined comeback in the second half, and were finally rewarded when a Preston Tucker cross found the foot of Taylor Horsting inside the box. Horsting volleyed the ball past the keeper.
With under 10 minutes remaining, a wonderfully-placed cross by Evan Moore found the head of Nathan Tucker, who scored for the second week in a row since being moved up to a striker position.
Both sides traded chances in the final minutes, and remain tied in third place at 5-3-1.
The game between the Revelstoke Stallions and North Enderby Timber was postponed due to weather.
