In more than 350 matches coaching Div. 1 men’s soccer, Glen Martin has never seen one like he witnessed on Saturday night.
Martin watched from the sidelines as Cowichan LMG thoroughly dominated their match against the Mid Isle Mariners at Ladysmith’s Forrest Field, but had to settle for a scoreless draw.
“This was a game unlike any I can ever remember being involved in,” said Martin, who had to observe the game as he continued to serve a suspension.
Cowichan nearly scored on the first play of the game, but were denied. On the last play, Craig Gorman unleashed a hard shot and had his hands in the air to celebrate the game-winner, but Mid Isle goalkeeper Evan Carr dived and flicked the ball around the corner.
“For the other 94 minutes, it was one-way traffic,” Martin said. “It could have easily been 10-0. You had to be there to believe it.”
Martin estimated that his team had 30 or 35 shots at the Mariners’ net, including about 20 on goal. Cowichan hit either the post or the crossbar seven times, and had several others blocked by Carr or his defenders.
“Their goalie stood on his head,” Martin said. “We had poor finishing, but we were also unlucky. To come out with a draw was devastating.”
Martin is confident that a match like last Saturday’s won’t happen to his club again any time soon.
“It was a one-off game,” he said. “That kind of game will happen to a team every 10 or so years.”
Cowichan will aim to keep the momentum from their last game going when they play their last game before the Christmas break this Friday at the Sherman Road turf, hosting Vic West at 7:30 p.m.
