Announcement
DEA, coming off a three-goal away victory last week against Westford, was looking to stay on track on the road against Groton United. Impressively, they did just that with a 4-1 victory in running their record to 2-1. DEA is now +6 on the road, scoring seven away goals which could become crucial by season’s end.
DEA came out flying, getting a two-goal lead ten minutes into the match. As the OTHSL is quickly finding out, DEA’s Jim Walker is difficult to impossible to contain. His pace is unmatched in the league, and the Groton backfield had their hands full all match.
Walker would get his first of the year by powering home an impressive head at the six-minute mark. DEA had built up down the right wing with a patient, clinical passing effort. As is often the case, a goal was the result of solid defensive play in DEA’s own half. After Dale Dubois won a 50-50 ball near midfield, he played a short ball to John Demeritt on the left sideline. JD then found John Guild streaming down through a gap in defenders, and slipped a nice through ball onto Johnny Red’s foot. Guild held for a moment, and thought about tossing a ball into the box. Instead, he patiently held and Jim McCall slid over and looked for an opening. After looking off one option, he picked up Walker steaming through the area unmarked. McCall dropped a beautiful ball about 8 yards from goal, where Walker rose to meet it and nodded home to give DEA an early advantage.About three minutes later, DEA took a 2-0 lead. Again, it was a defensive win by Rob Easton (who was outstanding all match from his sweeper position) picked off a through ball and found Walker in space about 18 yards from goal. Walker settled, and held the ball while waiting for help. He found Jeff Guild open on the left, and laid the ball off. Guild stepped into it nicely, and scorched home to the short side and DEA looked liked they were rolling. They barely had any action in their own third, and instead were already up by two. Could a blowout be on the horizon?
Instead, Groton stormed right back within seconds to make it 2-1. They took the retouch, and started moving down the right side. A cross filtered into the box, and with the wet turf it skipped through a maze of defenders before picking up Groton’s Barry Doust, who had sneaked through unmarked. He touched home from close range and DEA was disappointed to allow so quickly after getting the early lead.
DEA’s quiet keeper, Doug Henion, has been a find so far this year. Solid as a rock against Westford, he was just as impressive on this day. With Groton unable to make any headway against the Dubois/Easton combo in the middle and the outside backs of Woody Harper, JD, and Mike Robichaud, they had to settle on slipping through balls into the seams or trying long range feelers. Henion twice had to get to the bar to parry shots over to keep DEA in the lead.
DEA then got their insurance back. After Walker won a ball in the right corner, he beat a man before gaining momentum in the area. He took a knock, and went to the pitch as the ref waisted no time in pointing to the spot. Jeff Bailey took the PK, and quietly finished off to restore DEA’s two-goal cushion.
With five minutes left in the half, Groton made their best sortie into the box to try to get the lead back to a goal before the whistle. First, Doust again took a long ball for Groton and was one-on-one with Henion. After closing the angles down, Henion forced him to drive which looked to be heading for the corner. Henion stretched out to his right, saving spectacularly and swallowing the rebound. A great save that even had members of the Groton squad commenting on the save.
In the final minute, two more slips through the defense caused Henion to be quick off his line, but he cleared easily and DEA went into the half with a 3-1 lead.
Groton threw everything at DEA in the opening moments of the second half, with George Methous for Groton creating much havoc, the center midfield trio of Steve Bicknell, John Valickas, and McCall had their hands full tracking all over the pitch. DEA were on their heels, but locking down 20 yards out from goal and not allowing anything through. Two more long range drives were parried over the bar by Henion. JD pulled one off the line, making up for his clumsy tackle moments earlier.
DEA salted it away with 15 minutes left, and again it was a header as the last touch. After Valickas won a ball 30 yards from goal, he slipped to Chris Cloutier on the left with space. With Bailey making a great diagonal run, he called for the ball and Cloutier dropped a nice pass into space. Bailey received well, turned and while holding off his defender sent an ‘outside-of-the-boot’ chip to the back post. McCall was waiting for it, nodding home from close range to give DEA a 4-1 advantage they would never relinquish.
Both sides saw the end of the match run out, and DEA had another solid road performance in the books. They ran their record to 2-1, and also now have a +5 goal differential after three games.
DEA also pounded Groton for the third half, even upending the Groton Seniors Team for both of their halves AND their third half as well. This reporter was pretty pooped after the six-half showing today….In the afternoon results, NS Internationals upset Irish Village, 2-0. This vaults NS Internationals to the top of the table with a 2-0-1 record and a +5 differential. The Irish fell into a second-place tie with DEA, both with 2-1 records. DEA hold the goal differential advantage, Irish hold the head-to-head advantage. NS Internationals travel to Bedford this Sunday, with a top-of-the-table battle looming. Sunday’s match will go a long way to deciding how this table will look come season’s end.
GREAT, GREAT win DEA!
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