In a matchup of two of Division One's best programs, a senior-laden Manchester Central squad earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a Marauder team that played well enough to win, but still demonstrated the need to improve at both ends of the field. Coaches, players, media, spectators and officials agreed afterwards that it was an attractive, well-played and highly entertaining match. Hanover had every right to feel good about how well they had played, but frustrated that they could not convert a number of good scoring chances until they were behind by two goals.
The heavily-hyped match between the two second place teams in Division One was a tense one from the outset. Playing Central at historic Gill Stadium is as intimidating as it gets, but the Mauauders were able to absorb Central's early pressure, and by the midway point of half the two teams were playing on even terms. Central was attacking directly right down the middle, and had one dangerous threat quelled at the seven minute mark when keeper Connor Edson came off his line expertly to make a save on Eric Rodriguez, who had a near breakaway. Marauder defenders Luke Strohbehn and Max Greenwald had to be at their best to contain Rodriguez and the speedy Jacob Chiza.
Hanover midfielders Asa Berolzheimer, Jonah Levine and Ian Caldwell began willing more and more balls in the center of the park, and orchestrating some dangerous attacks for the Marauders. Jamie Dinulos broke in on the left baseline and fed a ball to Levine at the top of the box for a dangerous shot that was well-saved by Little Green goalkeeper Alec Patterson. An even better buildup created a nice shot opportunity for Seth Stadheim, but the heady freshman striker was unable to convert. Tim Alibozek broke into the middle of the penalty area from the right side and his a sizzling left-footed shot that forced Patterson to make a spectacular diving save. Finally, Josh Wallace nearly found the corner of the net with a full-out bicycle kick on the left side of the penalty area.
For all of their work offensively, Hanover had nothing to show as halftime approached, and with less than two minutes to play they gave up a well-made goal against the run of play. Central Midfielder
Anes Dkema played a well-weighted through pass to the speedy and talented Rodriguez, who avoided a tackle and broke in alone on Edson, beating him to the near post. Central happily came off at halftime with a 1-0 lead.
Matters got worse for Hanover at the five-minute mark of the second half. Rodriguez broke in to the Hanover end, and worked his way across the edge of the penalty area, avoiding Marauder defenders who were properly wary of diving in, but unable to contain him. Rodriguez worked the ball to rangy Central defender Evan MacDoanld outside the left corner of the penalty area, and the junior found the time and space to launch a shot to the upper right corner of the goal, eluding Edson's desperate dive by inches. For all of Hanover's good work, they had conceded two goals and were on the verge of losing their grip on the game.
This would have been a good time for the Marauders to quit. Somehow, they managed to keep plugging, and did their best to dig themselves out of their abyss. Central was happy to sit back a bit, but even with that it was clear that Hanover was slowly taking it up a notch, pinning the Little Green in their half of the field, winner corners, and eventually creating some dangerous opportunities. With fifteen minutes to play, Hanover pulled a crucial goal back, and as was the case in their recent win against Salem, it was substitutes Josh Wallace and Jake Acker who got the job done. Wallace worked his way into the box for a dangerous shot, and the rebound fell right to Acker, who buried the ball for his first career goal. The Marauders were right back into the game with plenty of time left.
Hanover was able to threaten several more times, with two corner kicks, a free kick into the box, and some great individual work by Jamie Dinulos and Josh Wallace. Seth Stadheim worked free near the right post, but was unable to get the ball across the face of the goal. Jonah Levine had a good opportunity from the top of the penalty area, but his shot was blocked. In the end, Central's ability to manage the end of the match prevailed, and Hanover walked away empty-handed. Glad that they had played well? No question. The Marauders received a lot of post-game praise for their skill, style and composure. Frustrated? For sure. Hanover has improved with every match, but they have only won once in the last four games, and that's a challenge to swallow.
Things don't get a lot easier for the Marauders, who face a challenging match on Friday at Keene. The Blackbirds have been impressive in the early going, with a 2-0 win against Bedford and a tie against top-ranked Timberlane. Keene is 4-3-1, coming off a 5-0 win over Spaulding. The senior-laden Blackbirds are particularly tough at home on the grass of Scripture Field. Hmm, Scripture Field. Maybe Rev. Rob can pull out some inspirational speeches for Hanover. "We can win this game," contended the Coach. "We have to tighten things up defensively, and continue to learn how to take advantage of the wonderful chances we are creating. The Keene game is a chance to put all of the pieces together." Departure time is 2:00 for the 4:30 game.
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