AUGUSTA – Edward Little got off to a quick start offensively in its playoff game against Cony.

Raynor Large’s goal less then three minutes in had the normally punchless Red Eddies up 1-0 on the first shot of the game.

Unfortunately for the Red Eddies, their early offensive fireworks fizzled just as quickly

The seventh-seeded Cony Rams controlled the action for the remaining 77 minutes, holding the Red Eddies to just two more shots on goal en route to a 2-1 Eastern A preliminary boys’ soccer victory.

“They gave us a tough run,” said Cony coach Nate Benoit. “Putting us down 1-0 put the pressure on us.”

Large outraced Cony keeper Matt Dennett to a loose ball advanced to the crease by Tyler Dorris. Large got free from his mark and kicked it past Dennett.

The Rams (10-3-2) evened things seven minutes later after they were awarded an indirect kick from within the penalty area. Eric Lui touched the ball to Doug Joerss, who found a seam in the Red Eddie wall and buried a low liner into the goal.

The second half was all Rams. They had numerous offensive chances only to thwart on most of them by EL keeper B.J. Levasseau. Early in the half, Lui walked in from the left side and blasted a shot that Levasseau got a foot on to kick it wide of the goal. He also stopped a hard shot off the foot of Ben Bozeman and another Joerss indirect offering.

“He had an unbelievable year,” said EL coach Dave Morin on the play of his senior keeper. “He gave us a chance today by keeping us in the game. He’s been a very good goalkeeper on a team that doesn’t score a lot of goals.”

Cony took the lead with 30:36 left to play. A bounding pass to the penalty area by Joerss was headed into the goal by Ben Moore, who got just enough of the ball to direct it past Levasseau.

“I knew I had to get a head on it,” said Moore. “I just got a piece of it.”

“He was hustling all day,” added Benoit. “He’s a kid that has a nose for the ball. He has a good forward mentality and will do whatever it takes to get a goal. That goal was a Ben Moore-type goal.”

The Red Eddies (6-7-2) did get the ball to the Ram end of the field late in the match, but they failed to get a shot on net.

“They were just stronger than us today,” said Morin. “They physically beat us, and we struggle against a team like that.”