Wed Feb 08 2012
Play hard to the final whistle.
It's an old coaching cliche, but it's a message Franklin County players felt in the pits of their stomachs after dropping their first match of the season in the final minute of play to Woodford County 1-0 at Sower Soccer Field.
With the clock winding down in a 0-0 tie, the Yellow Jacket's Alfredo Gomez headed in the lone and deciding score off a cross from Charlie Effinger with 16 seconds remaining. While Gomez ran toward the crowd with his hands in the air in celebration, the Flyers could only look on in disappointment.
"That's a tough loss to lose a game in the last minute," Franklin County boys soccer coach Zac Donnelly said. "I've got to give it to Woodford County, they outworked us the last half and definitely the last 10 minutes."
Franklin County came out strong in the opening 10 minutes, nearly scoring on several shots directly in front of the goal. They could never, however, hit pay dirt.
"We should have finished those," Donnelly said. "We had two or three right in the first 10 or 20 minutes that we should have put away. If we just have some composure in front of the goal, we finish those."
The Flyers controlled the ball for much of the first half, getting off 11 shots to Woodford County's two and forcing some tough saves by the opposition.
The tables began to turn in the second half when the Jackets came out more aggressive, wearing the Flyers down over the course of the half and culminating in the last second goal.
Donnelly said the Flyers need to improve their fitness level to compete the entire 80 minutes.
"Our guys, I don't think their fitness level is quite right to play 80 minutes," he said.
"When the game is tied, you can't be complacent. You've got to always want to win the game. I think our guys toward the end were looking to tie it and not win it and they stuck a goal in the net."
The stomach-punch loss is something Donnelly said he hopes the team will be able to use as motivation early in the season.
"I think it will be a good motivator for the team," he said. "It'll be something they can use in practice as a motivation to work hard. Our conditioning level isn't quite where it needs to be. Obviously towards the end of the game some of our starters looked a little sluggish."
Donnelly said he has been impressed with his young team up to this point in the season. The Flyers beat Scotty County 4-1 on Tuesday and placed second at the Bluegrass State games.
"We lost 12 seniors last year, but I've been impressed with the way they've played," Donnelly said.
Donnelly said this year's squad works well with the ball at their feet and plays physical " especially on defense.
"If we keep working hard at practice, working hard at games, I think we can do really well this season," he said.
The team is anchored by senior goalkeeper Tyler Pewitt, senior captain Peter Reid and junior Bryce Burton.
Pewitt made several athletic saves in the second half to keep Franklin County in the match.
"He played tough, he kept us in the game," Donnelly said. "There were other goals that they could have scored."
Donnelly said mental lapses cost the team at the end of regulation, but thinks his team can rebound nicely once they get into "80-minute game shape."
"I think we have the talent and ball skill, we just have to get our fitness level up a little bit," he said.
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