Coach Rick Sweeney wasn’t kidding when he gathered his Lancers post game and said, “they don’t come easy!”
Sweeney was of course referring to wins.
They may not be coming easily, but they do continue to come as Lewiston-Porter edged North Tonawanda, 3-1, in the Niagara Frontier League soccer game that took place at the brand new Vetter Stadium Friday night. Lew-Port improves to 4-1 in league, 7-1 overall.
“I don’t believe we out worked them. I think we out finished them,” said Sweeney. “It was a very even game. If anything they may have had it in our end a little bit more. Certainly I think that in the first half, we had less possessions, but the quality of our chances were better.”
Joey Zachery scored what turned out to be the game winner at the 35 minute mark.
Roberto Mele gave Lew-Port a 1-0 lead, and Tyler MacNeil tied the game two minutes later.
Marcus Johansson capped off the scoring in the second half.
But it was Zach Clayborne who saved the day for the Lancers with the defensive gem of the year with 14:15 left in the game.
NT’s Bryan Toth slipped into the Lancers end and was able to allude an on-rushing Lew-Port goalie Joe Beatty. Toth appeared to have an easy goal as he took his shot, but Zach Clayborne raced in from the left just in time to block Toth’s shot and preserve the two goal lead.
“I felt like we already had it,” Clayborne said as he modestly down played the importance of the play.
“Without that play I feel like we would have had it in the bag anyways because our defense was lock down. We just had a miscommunication me and Joe.”
That play seemed to be a microcosm of the game for the Jacks. Without the services of top offensive threat Colin Archibald, who had to sit due to a red card he got against Lockport, the Jacks couldn’t make the most of their chances. Co-head coach Steve Sabo felt a lack of desperation was at the root of the problem today.
“They’re being reactive instead of proactive,” said Sabo. “So they’re reacting to what everybody else is doing. They can’t be that way. They have to dictate play. If you set the pace of the game, if you’re the team that sets the time, then you can control things. You let the other teams do that then you’re constantly playing on your heels and you make mistakes.”
Lew-Port Boys Soccer