Lake Wales, FL -- It was that time of year again, the battle of Crooked Lake, between the Webber Warriors, and the Warner Royals. It was to be contested in front of hundreds of roaring fans. The players were psyched and ready to go, for what was sure to be an exciting contest.

 

The game started with both sides remaining strong and pushing towards goal. It was after four minutes, however, when the Warriors were awarded a free kick. Hall stepped up to take the free kick, hoping to take an early lead. Webber's co-captain whipped the ball into the box, which was controlled by fellow captain Bates, who placed the ball onto his left foot and struck at goal. Warner's goalkeeper, Jonathan Romero, spread his weight evenly, managing to prevent any further danger. Just a minute later Webber were awarded a second free kick, which Hall once again stepped up to take. After a perfect ball into the box, Bates managed to head it under pressure, although it wasn't accurate enough to find the target. The pressure didn't stop there. A further two minutes were played and the Warriors found themselves with a throw in. It was the perfect opportunity for Hall to use his “trademark” long throw to Webber's advantage. As the ball floated in, Kristensen headed the ball into the box. Bates managed to stick his foot out, but Romero denied him once again.

 

Warner were determined to show everybody what they were made of. After a fine move on the left side of midfield, the ball was played into the path of Mauricio Castano, who weighed up his options and decided to shoot. Otero worked his way back into an unlikely defensive position, managing to block the shot, which deflected and fell into the hands of Zwaans. The Royals continued to fight back, and it was in the 25th minute when Stevens Cabas crossed a ball into the area, which was cleared by the Webber defense. Unfortunately the ball fell into the path of Marc Jeanty, who perfectly executed a volley which Zwaans was unable to save, putting the Royals in the lead.

 

Goal (WU) – 25th minute – Marc Jeanty – (WU 1 – 0 WIU)

 

The Warriors were certainly going to live up to their name, and weren't going down without a fight. Hall played a long ball to Ayra, who used his pace to chase the ball, despite the acute angle. Romero managed to beat him to it, clearing the ball for a throw in. Halftime was quickly approaching, and Webber knew they needed to equalize if there was any chance of them getting back into the game. With just two minutes to play before halftime, the Warriors did just that. Castano made a bad decision when passing the ball back to Arturo De La Fuente, as Bates intercepted, and used his trusty left foot to put the Warriors back on level terms, alongside netting his 15th goal of the season.

 

Goal (WIU) – 43rd minute – Adam Bates – (WU 1 – 1 WIU)

 

Halftime – (WU 1 – 1 WIU)

 

Within five minutes of the second half, Webber won a corner. Hall took the corner, placing it to the feet of Kristensen, who struck the ball on his left foot. It wasn't to be, as the ball went over the crossbar.

Action suddenly turned to the other end of the field, with the Royals in the spotlight. The ball bounced to Jamie Moore following a corner, who caught the ball on the half volley. After taking several bounces through the Warriors defense, Zwaans showed great reflexes and managed to get a hand to the ball, allowing Percival to smash it clear. Warner continued to attack, although the Warriors defense stayed strong, blocking shots from Jeanty, and Reginald Francois. Another close effort came from Jean Pierre Jimenez, but Zwaans pulled off one of his best saves of the season, pushing the ball over the crossbar with his fingertips, which kept the game level.

 

While the game looked as if it was heading into overtime, the Royals scored with only six minutes remaining. Just two minutes after returning to the field, Eric Chaffiot put his team back in the driving seat. Jamie Moore took a shot at goal, which Zwaans did well to save, but as he re-positioned himself, Chaffiot struck the ball through the Warrior's defense and into the back of the net. Chaffiot's goal was enough to seal the game, which concluded this intense affair.

 

Goal (WU) – 84th minute – Eric Chaffiot – (WU 2 – 1 WIU)

 

Fulltime – (WU 2 – 1 WIU)

 

Coach Cockburn said, “I wasn't happy overall. My team didn't show the heart I'm used to seeing from them. You can blame officials and management, but at the end of the day, it's the eleven players on the field that must deliver. The odds are now against us, but we will continue to fight those odds until the season is out. We now have to re-group and look to the future.”