Powell River Villa lost 5-0 to Juan de Fuca All Flows in Vancouver Island Soccer League (VISL) Division 2 action on Saturday, November 24, and the result was costly in more ways than one.
“It was just an awful night,” said coach Chris McDonough.
It was the worst defeat of the season for Powell River. But the loss of Kurtis Dennison for the remainder of the season with a broken right leg was even more of a setback.
The teams started even for the first 10 minutes, then JDF started to take more control of the game. At the seven-minute mark, the home team scored its first of five goals off a cross that landed in Villa’s six yard box and was then tapped in for the first goal of the game.
Then, about five minutes later, Dennison went into a tackle and broke his leg.
“He was just making a run through the middle of the park and tried to push the ball through a defender,” said McDonough. “The defender just kind of came in and cleaned it out and [Kurtis] snapped his leg. There was no foul on the play but unfortunately his foot got caught in there.”
The game was stopped for an hour and an ambulance arrived. “It’s a horrible injury and really disrupted the game for us, losing one of our best players,” said McDonough.
Dennison was taken to a Victoria hospital with a broken fibula and tibia. He had surgery that night and McDonough said the injured player was doing well.
After the delay and effect Dennison’s injury had on Villa, the coach said his team was not the same.
“It was 2-0 with about a half hour to go and they just kind of piled on and got a bunch at the end and we ran out of steam,” said McDonough. “It was just an all-around bad night for us. It's the kind of game we'd like to forget.”
Villa has not lost two games in a row this season but the standings are getting tighter going into the VISL holiday break.
Powell River’s five-point division lead has shrunk to a single point, with four teams within striking distance and all with a game in hand over Villa.
Villa plays at home against Bays United on Saturday, December 1. Game time at Timberlane Park is 1:30 pm. The weather has been perfect for all of Villa’s home games so far this season and the current forecast for Saturday is favourable.
Powell River has not lost a home game this season. Bays United is in last place with only one point.
