- November 5, 2024
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It took 79 minutes and 54 seconds, but Matanzas was able to score at the death Monday night, ending Flagler’s El Clasico in a 1-1 draw with Flagler Palm Coast.
“I don’t know if that was the game plan, but I thought we executed pretty well for what we have,” Matanzas coach Rich Weber said after the game.
Trailing 1-0 with less than 20 seconds to go, Matanzas’ Daniel Ramirez got deep into the FPC defensive third. He cut the ball back and sent a low, driving cross into the box. The ball deflected off a Bulldog defender and trickled into the back of the net.
FPC (3-1-2) had led since about 15 minutes into the game. Bulldog attacker Drew Jones got in past the Pirates’ defense and slotted the ball into the side netting midway through the first half to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Perhaps this is the break a battered Matanzas team needed.
“The adversity is good this time of year,” Weber said. “Even without the goal I was happy with how we did. I thought we played well.”
For Flagler Palm Coast, it was another close game. On Friday, FPC scored a game-tying goal against Mainland with about six seconds to go.
“We’ve talked about coming into every game, expecting to play at a certain level and not having to rile them up and inspire them and get them going,” FPC coach Noah Braun said. “Just playing consistently, demanding it from each other, expecting it."
Weber hopes he can get some of his players back as the season continues, but for now, his team is making do. And after starting the season with a difficult district schedule, Weber was happy to see his team catch a break Monday night.
“It’s fabulous,” he said of the game-tying goal. “It’s good for the players. I thought this was really coming for a while. It’s a boost for the kids.”
Both Braun and Weber said they were giving their teams the rest of the week off to recover.
