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Clinton rallies to boot Bronx Science, 4-1
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Clinton didn’t look to panic when it trailed Bronx Science midway though the first half Sunday morning.
Governors senior midfielder Maximilian Ojeda usually sees his team pick up a head of steam to make a comeback attempt in the second half. But this time Clinton responded a bit earlier on the scoreboard.
The Governors took the momentum on a 31st-minute goal and took charge the rest of the way to complete a solid 4-1 home victory in a PSAL Bronx A division matchup.
“When they score, we get motivated to win and we don’t put our heads down,” Ojeda said.
Darren Harris, Frank Obeng and Arcange Nemlin each scored for third-place Clinton (5-1-2), which has remained unbeaten since an opening day 3-0 defeat to Bronx Science.
Governors coach Andrea Milsome says the team has created some good chemistry on the field in recent weeks. By dominating possession, Clinton created the majority of the scoring chances, which was also evident in a 4-3 win over Evander Childs Thursday that handed the division leaders its first loss.
“For us, and for me, it’s definitely the most positive game we’ve had in terms of possession,” Milsome said. “I’m seeing they are working for each other a little more. First half of this season was more about individuals and what they did on the field. They know that it’s not going to cut it in this league.”
Bronx Science (5-2-0) got off to a good start in the 16th minute on a long throw-in by Aaron Kirshenberg into the middle of the Clinton area. The ball bounced off a few Wolverines players before finally landing on the right foot of Nicholas Bienen Esayian, who converted the tap in for a 1-0 Bronx Science lead.
Clinton began to take control offensively and put a ton of pressure on the Bronx Science backline. Ojeda slipped past a defender on the right side and made a cross-field pass to Harris, who took one touch in the box and slid the ball past goalkeeper Alex Grun to make it 1-1.
Harris slipped past a few defenders and rocketed a 25-yard shot that deflected off the post. The rebound landed to Ojeda, who calmly put the ball into the net in the 35th minute for a 2-1 Clinton advantage.
The Wolverines could not put any pressure on a stingy Clinton backline and the Governors kept attacking the net. Sarpong Adjei threaded a pass down the right side to Nemlin, who struck his shot into the right top corner of the net in the 51st minute.
Harris kept the pressure on the Wolverines defense and saw his left-footed shot hit off the post. Frank Obeng, who had a good performance with his passing in the midfield, got the rebound and put Clinton up 4-1 in the 60th minute.
“We’re moving the ball well, getting everybody into the game and that’s what we go to keep doing,” Harris said.
Ojeda agreed with his coach’s assessment that if Clinton wants to win the division, it must maintain a same level of intensity against the rest of the division. The Governors recorded two draws against struggling Truman and Lehman.
Clinton takes on Columbus on Wednesday, and Ojeda knows the Explorers will be motivated to avenge an earlier loss this season in front of the MSG Varsity cameras.
“We’re feeling extra motivated to get first place in the division, but we’ve got to make sure to keep our heads up and not get cocky,” Ojeda said. “Even if we beat the first and second place team, we got to beat the sixth or seventh place team.”
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