Peace Arch take the spoils.....
The last meeting of these two teams can be traced back as far as February 2006 MATCH REPORT and the match report makes interesting reading, especially the bit..... "The referee, who apparently used to play for Peace Arch......" I wonder which referee that was? The match on that day was won by two goals from Chris Arcari with a winning strike from Alfie Deglan. However, enough reminiscing so on with the report. The first chance fell of the game fell to the home team in the third minute after a left wing attack was left by everyone. An attacker retrieved the ball to centre, but it was eventually scrambled away for a corner. On the seventh minute another attack by Peace Arch witnessed last man Danny Jensen being rounded, but the resulting effort was too far wide to cause Judd Boxtart any trouble. The first break for the Arch came in the 11th. minute when Jensen chopped down one of the opposition in the corner of the penalty box and the referee awarded a penalty which was dispatched to put the home side ahead.

The first meaningful attack from the Classics occurred on the quarter-hour mark. It came from the right and was ended with an Alan Massender shot, which was well saved by the home keeper. In the 19th. minute it was 2-0 after Pat Rohla lost possession. The ball was quickly moved forward and was tucked comprehensively to the right of the keeper, giving him no chance. The visitors pulled back a goal in the 22nd. minute after Gordie Macklin ran through onto a a lovely weighted ball from Pat O'Krane, which had been flicked on by Jimmy Butler, and he lashed it goalwards. The ball came out to 'Jimmy on the spot' Butler who pounced onto the rebound to make it 2-1. Comments from the touchline included, "the drought is over!" Within another minute it could have been 2-2 when Butler was found poaching, but his efforts only managed to win a corner. It was Butler again on the half-hour, but the keeper again defied him finding the net. With ten minutes of the half left, Sherman Foster was almost embarrassed after he passed the ball across the unmarked goalmouth, only to watch it get cleard away to safety.

With five minutes of the second half played an Arch attack almost brought another goal for the home side. It took the outstretched left leg of Boxtart to deny what looked odds-on to be a goal. It was a fine save. In the 52nd. minute Butler was put through one-on-one with the keeper, who made a great save as he pushed the ball away for a corner. The visitors lost the services of O'Krane for 10 minutes after he was sent to the sin-bin for persistent niggling at the referee. On 67 minutes, a left wing cross was met by Bryan Griffiths but he balooned it over the bar. With 15 minutes remaining, a good run by Larry Thorlakson on the right finished with a great centre to Butler who tried to stretch himself sufficiently, but at full stretch but couldn't stretch enough to get his head to the ball. It would have been a great finish. The Classics were getting on top with possession but with ten minutes left, Peach Arch mounted a left flank attack which resulted in a centre which was suitably finished, via the post, to put the Arch 3-1 ahead.

A long range effort from O'Krane was pushed over the bar by the keeper and from the resulting corner O'Krane was unlucky to see his header bounce just the wrong side of the crossbar. With six minutes remaining a free kick by Rohla was headed on, goalwards, by Butler. The keeper parried the ball out and Will Dixon was on hand to stab the ball into the back of the net to give some hope of salvaging something from the game. At 3-2 the Classics piled on the pressure and Peach Arch did all they could to tick the clock down. With one minute remaining, a free kick was played through by Massender to O'Krane who again headed over the bar - that was the game! In the final analysis, it was a great game played by two good teams who both deserve tremendous credit. Always a bogey team, Peach Arch had done it again.

Stats
Penalty conceded: D. Jensen
Sin Bin: P. O'Krane (mouthing)
Crap Award: D. Moore