Northview Titans Varsity Boys Game Summaries
Northview v. Peachtree Ridge Lions 4-3
February 28, 2007
After three home games the Titans hit the road with a non region game against the Peachtree Ridge Lions. It was a great evening for soccer with the temperature at 57F. Coach C. did some experimenting and went with his starting line-up in a 4-3-3 formation:-
Carter Rhoad
Ramu Annamalai Caulin Collier Jarrod Nesser Sam Bevan
Tanner Chamblin Jacob Lee Dan Schwartz
Josh Taylor Stephen Glover Eric Carrion
The Titans began the game very tentatively with the players struggling to come to grips with their new positions. After just 90 seconds a Peachtree Ridge forward made a break from the right side of midfield towards the Titan penalty box. Sam Bevan was trying to hold him back for several yards but as the forward went into the penalty area he fell to the ground. After consulting with his assistant referee, the referee gave Sam a yellow card and awarded the Lions a penalty. A harsh call since the original infringement was well outside of the area. Before the kick could be taken, Nathan Thompson replaced Sam. On the penalty kick, Carter Rhoad got down well to block the shot but, unfortunately, it rebounded straight back to the kicker who put it into the net and to give the Lions a 1 – 0 lead. With an inauspicious start for the Titans, Sam returned for the ensuing kick-off. After 5 minutes, following a poor defensive clearance by Northview, the Lions won the first corner of the game from which the Lions got a shot on target that Carter Rhoad saved. As they neared the 10 minute mark, Peachtree Ridge committed a series of fouls as the Titans began to press forward. The third free kick was about 28 yards out on the left side of the penalty area and Sam Bevan drilled his shot passed the goalkeeper to level the score at 1 – 1.
The referee was calling lots of fouls on both teams and the game struggled to get any momentum. In the 16th minute the Titans failed to clear the ball and the Lions quickly broke down the left side and into the penalty box where a wicked low drive hit Sam Bevan and deflected into the net passed Carter Rhoad, and the Lions led 2 – 1. Four minutes later things went from bad to worse for the Titans, when another defensive slip let a Lions forward steal the ball and slide it passed Carter Rhoad as he came rushing out of the goal. With the Lions leading 3 – 1, Russell Bradford came on for Josh Taylor. Northview tried to put pressure on the Lions and following a nice move involving Eric Carrion, Stephen Glover and Jacob Lee, the Titans won a free kick outside of the Lions box. Jacob took the kick which the Lions headed out for a corner. Jacob also took the corner and the goalie punched the ball out as far as Eric Carrion who tried to get it back into the danger area but the Lions made a very quick play out of defense and, fortunately for the Titans, some good play by Caulin Collier forced the Lions into an offside position just inside the Titan half.
With 26 mins gone, Jimmy Mitchell came on for Ramu Annamalai and this almost changed the Titans’ luck as following a Jacob Lee free kick, Stephen Glover headed just over the bar. The Titans were playing with a bit more purpose and in the 32nd minute Jacob Lee made a great play in midfield to take the ball away from a Lions player. He played a one - two with Eric Carrion and then sent Russell Bradford down the right wing. Russell was fouled just outside the box and Jacob Lee put the free kick into the six yard box. The Lions goalie was first to the ball but he couldn’t control it and dropped the ball near Jarrod Neser who tapped in the Titans second goal. At half time the Lions still led 3 – 2.
Northview kicked off the second half with two changes. Will Whorton replaced Carter Rhoad in goal and Cameron Pratt came on for his season debut for the Titans, who immediately caused problems with Tanner Chamblin winning a free kick and a yellow card for a Lions player in the first 30 seconds. The Titans were looking like a different team now, after having looked out of sorts throughout a lot of the first half. Tanner passed to Dan Schwartz who crossed the ball to Jarrod Neser and his header found Eric Carrion who won a corner. Russell Bradford took the corner which the Lions headed out as far as Jarrod Neser but his shot was deflected out for a throw-in. Peachtree Ridge tried a quick break from the throw but Tanner Chamblin stepped up to stop them, however, he was called for a foul. The Lions attacked down the Titans’ left flank and their cross was cleared by Jarrod Neser. The Titans got the ball out to Cameron Pratt on the right wing and he crossed it into the penalty area where Russell Bradford drew the defender and left Dan Schwartz free to side foot into the net and level the score with just four minutes gone in the second half.
Will Whorton was called into action in the 45th minute when he was forced to dive to his right to save a long range shot from the Lions. There then followed some end to end action as, firstly, Eric Carrion played in Russell Bradford who won a corner. Jacob Lee took the corner which Sam Bevan headed towards the back post where the goalkeeper caught it under pressure from Jarrod Neser who was called for the foul. Secondly, from that kick the Lions had a clear shot on goal but put it high and the Titans were off the hook.
In the 52nd minute, the Titans won a free kick in the center circle and before they took it, Sam Bevan, who was carrying an injury from earlier in the half, had to be replaced by Ramu Annamalai. The free kick was played short to Stephen Glover who ran down the middle of the field and then cut across to the right side of the penalty box where his low hard shot was met by Dan Schwartz at the back post to give the Titans a well deserved lead 4 – 3. Half way through the half the Peachtree Lions were attacking in search of an equalizer and Caulin Collier made not one, but two, great tackles to break up two different moves.
The Titans nearly got a 5th goal in the 64th minute after Tanner Chamblin had been fouled in his own penalty area. The free kick found Eric Carrion on the right wing and he cut into the box and turned the defense before shooting. Dan Schwartz intercepted the wayward shot and played it back to Stephen Glover. The goalkeeper couldn’t hold Stephen’s shot and Cameron Pratt the hit the loose ball into the side netting before being called offside. During the last 15 minutes of the game both teams had a couple of opportunities but nothing came of them. Several substitutions were made with Josh Taylor replacing Eric Carrion and reshuffling the line up with Cameron Pratt moving up front and Josh taking the right midfield spot. Russell Bradford had dropped back into the left midfield position and was replaced by Jimmy Mitchell in the 75th minute.
Final score: Peachtree Ridge Lions 3 – 4 Northview Titans
