Saints beat Gators 3-1 for 2nd consecutive day

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 28, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Talk about deja vu -- in 24 hours no less.

One day after defeating county rival Spring Creek 3-1 on its home pitch, Southern Wayne turned in the same result at "The Swamp" on a cloudy and breezy Thursday afternoon.

"We made the same mistakes that we were trying to correct and the same things happened (today)," SC head coach Carlos Borda. "What I'm seeing in the guys is a kind of confusion. We expect to have more ball control, be more aggressive and they haven't discovered the positions where they're supposed to be playing."

The Saints controlled the tempo.

Southern Wayne (2-1-0 overall) stepped to the ball consistently and used the width of the field to stretch the Gators' defense, which created scoring opportunities on frame. While some shots rolled wide of the posts on occasion, Spring Creek could never counter the constant pressure.

Borda's team lost its shape in the midfield and players bunched up together instead of finding open space.

"We haven't put things together, but their mind is not set yet to playing together," Borda said.

Past the midway point of the opening half, the Gators were whistled for a handball infraction inside the penalty area. SC keeper Ulyses Vega (10 saves) guessed the right way and stopped Obens Tilus' penalty shot that he tried to slip inside the near post.

Tilus got another chance five minutes later. Darwin Sure drew a hard foul inside the box and walked toward the penalty spot. Instead of taking the PK, he put the ball down and let the Saints' senior captain try again.

This time Tilus ripped a goal-scoring shot that went between Vega's out-stretched gloves and settled into the back of the net.

"I tell the guys that whoever scores, they do it for the team and not personal (gain) and Darwin decided to give it to Tilus ... good sportsmanship," SW head coach Mario Aguilar said.

Barely two minutes after Tilus' goal, Sure made it 2-0 on an assist from Randil Reyes. Sure completed the Saints' scoring with a second-half goal inside the 6-yard box.

Southern Wayne held a 24-12 advantage in shots.

Aguilar praised his team's movement and its ability to communicate while it worked in open spaces. But he was most proud of his back four defenders -- Luis Guzman, Oscar Ruiz, Colby Gray and Tilus. The quartet prevented the Gators from getting any good looks on goal and if a ball slipped through, Michel Ponce (six saves) managed to make either a glove or cleat save.

"They played really well, I like them," a smiling Aguilar said of his gritty back line that played physical for the entire game.

Carlos Ramirez collected the Gators' lone goal with about five minutes left before halftime. It was his second goal of the season as Spring Creek dropped to an uncharacteristic 1-3-0 overall.