Powell River Villa lost 5-0 to Gorge FC in an away game held Saturday, November 30, at Hampton Park Turf in Victoria.
“The score doesn’t tell the entire story of the game,” said Villa coach Chris McDonough. “Gorge had some good goals, we made some errors that cost us, but overall we played very well shorthanded against a tough opponent.”
Villa held off any goals until the end of the first half, when Gorge scored at 38 minutes, followed by another at 41 minutes. Gorge scored three more times in the second half to complete the 5-0 shutout.
“Gorge’s first goal came off of a penalty kick at the corner of the box,” said McDonough. “To be down by two just before the half was a little deflating, because we played really well to hold them scoreless until that point.”
Villa was more shorthanded than usual for this road game, their fourth in the last five games.
“The tough road schedule has really taken a toll on us, especially since players have other commitments besides the team,” said McDonough. “To field 11 players this weekend, we had to permit some young players from Victoria. They played well for us, but having so few of our regular players available had an effect.”
Villa is still outside the relegation zone in Vancouver Island Soccer League Division 1, remaining in eighth place in the standings.
“All the teams around us lost this weekend as well, so we’re still in control of our situation in terms of remaining in Division 1,” said McDonough. “We play at home three times after the holiday break and only once on the road, which will help us. Travel is something Villa is good at, and something most of the other teams in the league don’t have to deal with, but the schedule in the first half of the season made it difficult for us. This week was the toughest as far as having players available, but we played well considering the circumstances.”
Villa will come back from this loss and be ready to face Bays United, currently in second place in the Division 1 standings, at Timberlane Park on Saturday, December 7, said McDonough. “Bays United will be a huge challenge for us, but we’re excited to meet them here for our last home game of 2019,” he added. “We anticipate a good, exciting game. When we have our full, regular roster on the field, we’re competitive with anybody.”
Kickoff will be at 1:30 pm, with tickets available at the gate.
The following weekend, Villa will play its last game before the holiday break against Lakehill FC at Braefoot Park in Victoria.
Villa will also be on the field for the Steve Steele Memorial Boxing Day match on Thursday, December 26, details of which will be available soon.
