THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507090162
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
A lackluster effort by the Hampton Roads defense led to two close-in goals, and the offense couldn't pick up the slack as the Mariners dropped a 3-1 decision to Charlotte on Saturday at First Colonial High School for the team's second consecutive loss.
``The game came down to who would make the defensive mistakes. We did, and they capitalized,'' Mariners coach Sonny Travis said.
The win moved the Eagles (12-4) into third place ahead of Hampton Roads (11-4) in the Atlantic Division. Only four teams advance to the playoffs.
The Mariners pummeled Charlotte goalkeeper Neil Andrews with shots for the first 10 minutes of the game, including two close-range attempts by midfielder Mark Waite that hit off the posts, but it was the Eagles that scored first.
In the 12th minute, Keith Dakin found himself standing all alone to the left side of goalkeeper Garth Lagerwey and received the ball from a teammate. With no defender to mark him, Dakin took a shot that deflected off Lagerwey's hands, over his head, and into the net.
The Mariners tied the game with 4:24 to play in the first half on a Darren Eales penalty kick. The play was set up when Eales served the ball to Nate Friends, who left a defender flat-footed and was pulled down in the box by Andrews.
But midway through the second half, Phillipe Berthoud put the Eagles ahead, 2-1, after Hampton Roads failed to clear the ball from in front of its own net.
Jamie Wellington scored with 46 seconds left to play for the final margin of victory.
``We try to play entertaining soccer all the time, and the fans enjoy it, but we have to learn that sometimes you've got to give the ball a whack (downfield),'' Lagerwey said. ``The last two games we haven't played well in the back, and we need to sort that out before the playoffs.''
After the game, most of the Mariners retreated to their locker room instead of signing autographs. Those that remained seemed embarrassed by their defensive effort.
``There was just not enough urgency on both those first two goals,'' said sweeper Brian Crane. ``That's just concentration. It's careless. And that goes for everyone on the field.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
L. TODD SPENCER
Hampton Roads' Darren Eales, left, gets tangled up with Charlotte's
Clayton Morris Saturday night. Eales scored a goal on a penalty
kick, but that was it for the home team as the Eagles moved past the
Mariners into third in the USISL's Atlantic Division.
by CNB