2019 ISL Match Report
Date:  9/21/2019
Home Team:  St. Mark's
Away Team:   Middlesex
Score (H-A):  2-4
Goals (Assists)-        Home:             #7 Charlie Savage (10', Assist #15 Tom Haugen)
                                                            #6 Connor Flaherty (90', PK)
                                    Away:             #17 Anyolo Makatiani (10')
                                                            #10 Kwabena Kwakwa (50', Assist #5 Neto Nwogbo)
                                                            #9 Walker Massey (65', Assist #6 Andrew Parker)
                                                            #10 Kwakwa (88', PK)
Goalkeeping-             Home:             #1 Brendan Gibbons (90', 4 GA)
                                    Away:             #1 Alfonso DeVito (90', 2 GA)
Cardings-                   Home:             None
                                    Away:             None
 
Notes:            
It was a competitive match up to open the ISL season for St. Mark's and Middlesex Boys' Soccer and the 85° weather made for some tired legs by the end.  The visitors controlled the possession for the first ten minutes of play until a giveaway led to a surging run down the left flank for St. Mark's that found an unmarked Charlie Savage for an emphatic close-range finish.  With the hosts up 1-0 on their initial attack, the reply came before the next minute had passed as Anyolo Makatiani pressed hard against the St. Mark's back line and buried the loose ball to knot the score at 1-1.  The Lions defended well for the rest of the half and looked to threaten on the counterattack through Connor Flaherty.  Five minutes after the halftime break, Kwabena Kwakwa opened a pocket of space on the right side of the goal and thundered the ball into the side net for the 2-1 lead.  Walker Massey advanced the lead 15 minutes later, finishing a deft feed from Andrew Parker.  Kwakwa rounded out the Middlesex scoring in the 88^th minute by dispatching a spot kick.  St. Mark's pressed on until the final whistle and were rewarded with a penalty of their own just before the final whistle that was finished by Flaherty.  The St. Mark's keeper, Brendan Gibbons, made several one-v-one saves to thwart the Middlesex attackers, particularly in the second half.   Despite the heat and humidity, the work rate and the fair play were evident in large amounts.  A brace from Kwakwa and goals from Makatiani and Massey were enough to see the three points safely secured for Middlesex.