MANCHESTER, NH – Reshad Mehr scored his second goal of the game with 14:37 remaining, lifting Manchester West past Hillsboro-Deering, 2-1, in an early season Division 3 showdown at Meisel Veterans Memorial Field.
The win snapped a three-game winless streak for the Blue Knights (3-1-2), during which they managed just two goals total.
“We tried some different formations today, based on the complexities of the game, and it worked,” said West Head Coach Francisco Martinez. “All of these kids have talent. They just have to match the talent to play as a team and this is the result.”
With the score tied, 1-1, West came out aggressively after intermission and dominated the second half. The Blue Knights outshot Hillsboro-Deering, 17-4, over the final 40 minutes and kept the visitors back on their heels.
The tie-breaking goal came off a corner kick from the left side by Kombozi Amosi, who curled the ball to the front of the net. Keeper Braden Savoy leapt and tried to punch the ball out but wasn’t able to get solid contact. Mehr was waiting and headed the ball back over Savoy’s head an into the open net.
The Blue Knights appeared to gain some insurance in the 74th minute, when Japhari Ramadani made a strong run through the middle, fighting through the H-D defense and beating Savoy to the right side. But the goal was negated by an errant offsides call that the referees overturned moments later.
Hillsboro-Deering (3-2-0) drew first blood in the 14th minute on a goal by midfielder Joey Lavalley. The West defense was unable to clear the zone after an H-D corner, Lavalley gathered the ball and ripped a blast from 35 yards out, which curled just under the crossbar.
Riding momentum, H-D carried the play for the next 10 minutes. West found itself scrambling but managed to keep the Hillcats from extending their lead. Martinez praised his team for keeping their focus after falling behind.
“We don’t give up because it’s about mentality,” he said. “Most of these kids are young and we have to work with them on their mentality more than skills.”
In the 37th minute, West caught a break when H-D’s Alex Crowe was whistled for a foul near midfield. The Blue Knights took full advantage. Mehr set up about 15 yards in front of the H-D net and controlled the direct kick by Amosi. Mehr maneuvered around three defenders to get an open look and tucked a shot just inside the post to tie the game.
West is unbeaten at home (3-0-1), The Knights will look to pick up their first road win when they travel to Raymond on Saturday for a 1 p.m. match.
