Powell River Villa drew 0-0 against Vantreights FC on a bitterly cold Saturday, November 28, evening at Finlayson Field in Victoria.
Both teams are in the middle of the Division 2 pack, separated by two points, with Vantreights one spot ahead.
The frosty turf and slippery ball resulted in a fast game as temperatures slid below freezing and the ball skipped around the field.
Villa kept possession for the majority of play and dictated the pace, although coach Chris McDonough acknowledged the club couldn’t quite break through.
“Getting our away point is always tough in this league, so we were happy to get that and stay in the middle of the pack,” said McDonough. “We were disappointed not to get the win, but in a league where there’s a lot of parity, getting a road point with all the travel we do is tough.”
Villa had quite a few chances on goal in the first half, but were blocked by a solid Vantreights defence.
After the break, Villa came back and pressed stronger. Toward the end of the second half, Villa had a couple of chances on goal, including several free kicks, but were unable to finish in the final third of the field.
Powell River brought in three players for the Saturday game from the Mid Isle Mariners under 21 team, including two from Powell River that have joined Villa before.
Brody Harry and Jake Kenmuir, who are attending school in Nanaimo, provided more depth to the Villa lineup.
The Man of the Match award went to 18-year-old Humberto Rosales. McDonough said he was the team’s most dangerous player on Saturday, as well as in the last three to four games.
“He was creating a lot of chances down the wing and set up a few crosses that went in, but we couldn’t quite finish them off,” said McDonough. Since coming to Canada from Mexico earlier this year, Rosales has been steadily improving through the season, and he has been a nice addition to the team, said McDonough.
With 10 minutes to go in the second half, Harry just missed the net in a close-range shot.
“Vantreights is really good team,” said McDonough. “We weren’t quite able to break them down in the final third and I think that’s the takeaway for us.”
Villa were organized defensively throughout the game. Vantreights had one good chance to score in the first half, but the ball was put wide.
Villa goalkeeper Matt Liknes was solid when the ball came near, but did not see a lot of action.
Powell River has been raising the level of play in the last two matches, due to getting some personnel back that were missing at the beginning of the season.
Villa’s next scheduled game will be a big one as the club tries to break into the top half of the division.
Villa plays against Sooke Loggers in their last home game of the year before the holiday break. Both teams are currently tied with 11 games played and 15 points.
The match takes place at Timberlane Field on Sunday, December 6, at 1:30 pm. League play will resume in the new year on Sunday, January 17.
