Three unanswered second half goals propelled Vernon Kal Tire to a 5-2 win over Kelowna Mabui in Okanagan Oldtimers 45+ Men’s Soccer League play.
There were many chances on both sides in the first half with both goalies making outstanding saves. Kal Tire took the lead twice but Mabui answered quickly both times resulting in 2-2 at the break. Game MVP Volker Otto scored the goal of the night, out-jumping his marker for a firm header in the top corner.
Elsewhere:
PENTICTON 2 BROWN BENEFITS 2
It’s always a battle when these two teams clash and Monday night was no exception as Brown Benefits came back from two goals down to tie Penticton 2-2.
The first half ended scoreless thanks to a miraculous diving save by the Brown’s Gord Regan who denied Zeke Pescada’s free kick from going into the top corner. Midway through the second half, Steve Grant opened the scoring when he tapped in his own rebound. Pescada did beat Regan later on with a shot from the top of the box through a maze of players. The Browns battled back and Grant Campbell’s worm burner free kick fooled everyone and settled into the bottom corner. With two minutes left, Jim Kruiper produced an fantastic cushioned header that found Tony Gonzales, who tucked the ball away to level the match.
MISSION CLEANERS 7 INTERIOR BEVERAGES 0
The first match-up resulted in nine goals in total and Mission Cleaners nearly equaled that on their own in the rematch. This time the defence and goalies held firm and it wasn’t until late in the first half that Mission Cleaners managed to sneak some goals in, finishing the half with a 2-0 lead. The second half started like the first with plenty of chances but few goals. In the middle of the second half, a penalty shot was called against Interior Beverages. The resulting goal and red card became a hill too difficult for Interior Beverages to climb back from and Mission Cleaners took the game over.
Mission Cleaners goals came from Manny Almeida, Greg Godber, Graeme Jenkins, Miles Laing, Chris Messent, Gigi Moldovan and Rene Trozzo, while keeper Andy Joplin earned the clean sheet.
REAL JVL 6 R&B RENTED MULES 0
No one could have predicted that JVL’s Tristan Smith would flourish under hot, muggy conditions as he unleashed a barage of offence netting five goals. Making up for a previous own goal earlier in the season, JVL’s Randy Schmidt somehow managed to find pay dirt and potted one himself. While it may not have been breathtaking….it was effective. The Mules started the game with only 1 sub and played well for the first 25 minutes but then slowly began to fade in the heat. Blair Forrest played stellar in net and prevented JVL from running up the score. On a more somber note, Dave Notte played the game with an ill fitting jersey (he forgot his at home) and suffered some rather serious chaffing in the chest area. Thankfully he will make a full recovery and should be good to go for next week.
