WINTHROP – They won’t have the chance to play with the lead, but at least the Winthrop boys’ soccer team has the opportunity to enjoy one for a few days.
Ryan Phillips’ goal with just 13 seconds left in the second overtime lifted Winthrop to a 2-1 victory over Lisbon on Wednesday.
“That is the first second this season that we’ve had the lead,” said Winthrop coach Lonney Steeves. “We’ve been playing from behind all season long. We’ve been able to answer most of those salvos at us, but I’d like to see us get ahead at the beginning of the game and try to relax through it.”
The Ramblers (1-1-2) rallied from an early Lisbon goal in the second half. After Dave Ricker tied the game, Winthrop rode the momentum and managed to close things out in the nick of time.
Ricker won the ball in the midfield and booted it ahead for Phillips, who snuck by the defense and was in alone on Lisbon keeper Mike Wilkins.
“There were no defenders there,” said Phillips. “Dave Ricker got the ball and passed it to me. The was no one there. So I just ran. Luckily, I got the score. “
It was a tough loss for the Greyhounds (1-2-1). Lisbon had outshot Winthrop 14-3 in the first half but lost steam after taking the 1-0 lead.
“We had a let down,” said Lisbon coach Scott Barden. “We pressed a lot in the first half. We had our chances, but he’s (Mike Gingras) a good goalie.”
Maxx Hathaway put Lisbon ahead 7:25 into the second half. Dan Gil-Romero sent a pass through the box for Hathaway at the left side. His shot went in off Gingras’ hands.
Winthrop began building up momentum and got the equalizer with 14:14 left. Dave Zimmerman passed it from the right wing, and Ricker turned a fired a low shot that snuck by Wilkins.
“The momentum swung after they scored,” said Barden. “We’ve got to learn that we can’t watch the ball. We’d watch the ball and miss our marks.”
Winthrop mounted some pressure but couldn’t get the game-winner in regulation. Lisbon thought it had a goal with 3:11 left in overtime but a yellow card before the play nullified it.
“We’ve played from behind all year,” said Steeves. “So the nice thing about having that happen to you a lot is that they don’t panic. They score and they kids get down for a couple of minutes. They look at the scoreboard and there’s 22 minutes to play. They say Okay, let’s do what we’ve been doing.'”
Steeves says its the first time has club has beaten Lisbon in half a dozen seasons and that the two clubs have 17 ties in his 19 years as coach. Most importantly, it gives his club a significant boost early in the campaign.
“This is great,” said Phillips. “It just brings up our momentum. We know we can do anything now.”
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