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Seacoast Continues Their Mastery Over DEA by Dishing Out a 5-1 Whipping
Are the wheels coming off the DEA bandwagon? Do I have to come back down there and kick some ass?
After a last-minute change due to the weather, DEA had to travel to Seacoast instead of a home game. The result was a 5-1 pasting. All I know is the once proud DEA defense has given up 12 goals in their four games, 10 in their last three. What the heck is going on down there?
DEA was toppled by Ipswich 3-0 today. No other details are available.
(The details above were provided by various wire reports.)
Chris Laberge Leads DEA to 3-2 Opening Day Win vs. Hollis; goes on DL
Chris Laberge had a wide range of emotions, netting two goals, creating a third, and possibly being lost for the season with a knee injury in DEA's Opening Day Festival win against rival Hollis.
With numbers problems last year, and a turnover of several players, DEA spent freely in the transfer market this winter with an eye on a complete roster overhaul. Based on the results of today's match, it appears it was money spent wisely.
Despite all the new names on the back of the jerseys, there were several old reliables on the pitch and it was those familiar faces who led the way in front of the drunken crowd.
Hollis came in with a few new players as well, so it was sure to be a battle on this chilly morning at Sportsman's Field. It was DEA, however, who would take an early lead.
When Jerold White stepped in front of Reyad Mohamoud's pass, he slipped Barry Fitzgerald down the right flank. Barry put on his after burners to create some space, and fed Laberge through beautifully down the middle. Laberge, the old cog on the team and still fighting to keep his first choice striker's position, showed the young guns how to finish by calmly slotting home from 12 yards to make it 1-0.
Five minutes later, Ryan Carvalho, looking the part of a Neuremburg prison guard, found himself with an open area and a clean look at goal. As a defender closed, Ryan couldn't decide if he should pass, chip the keeper, or hammer a hard shot. He did neither, woefully shooting well wide.
Back in DEA's end, Lucas Hill was a welcome return after missing last season to a back injury. The poor haircut aside, he was his typical solid self in the goal. He calmly punched over a long drive from Winston in his only real tester of the first half-hour.
Hollis would level late when Winston was left alone at the back post and scorched from close range to make it 1-1 at the half.
On a positive note, Junior didn't maime anybody in his season debut.
Second half saw Hollis imparting their will for long stretches. The game reporter must admit that he spent much of the second half trying to warm up by continually swilling beers, so the details are a bit sketchy. However, the action was in DEA's end for a long time so I guess it sounds accurate.
Hollis would take the lead in the 70th minute, and again it was Winston. He slammed home to Lucas' short side, again from close range, and it looked like the O-30's were going to follow the O-40's with a 2-1 L.
Instead, Laberge, who was only coming back on if needed, did just that. After working a one-two with Elvis, Laberge fired from just inside the area. His shot was saved, but as Hollis cleared it found a fellow defender's arm and the ref called a PK. A tough call that could've gone either way, the now overly-imbibed crowd could only assume it was a makeup call from the earlier match.
Jerold stepped up to take the PK, and calmly pushed home leveller as he forced the goalie the wrong way.
DEA now pushed for the go-ahead goal in the waning minutes. Much of the action was coming off the right side, via Barry's continually spot-on crosses. One found Laberge inside the area, but he pulled his header just wide. The crowd took notice, as a comment was made "He's impossible to mark. He's just took f-en big up there."
Two minutes later, it proved to be prophetic as Laberge was left open on a missed offsides trap. He seemed suprised he was on, and pushed past the keeper before touching home from close range to give DEA the lead.
With his work done, Laberge was calling for a sub. Unfortunately, in what could be a very costly injury, before he could vacate the pitch his right boot found a "field blemish" i.e. a hole, and his knee paid the price. The sound was clearly audible from the sidelines, and immediately a call for the stretcher was placed. At presstime, all that is known is that surgery is on the horizon in what looks to be a tendon injury to the right knee. DEA Management wished Laberge well in his recovery as they still hope for some good news.
The final whistle wasn't much longer, as DEA took home the "W" against an improved Hollis team.
Kudos to Lucas' mom, he spent her 61st birthday on the sidelines. That's just quality.
DEA continued to have problems with their road numbers, and it showed this morning as Seacoast levelled a 7-1 whipping on them.
After many e-mailed requests to see if DEA were even going to have enough to field a team, at the late hour on Saturday it was confirmed they would have 11 players. Seacoast needed a win to hold off Hollis, while DEA was playing purely for the enjoyment on a nice Sunday morning.
When the opening whistle blew, DEA was shorthanded as Jeff Bailey was just getting warmed up. No matter, though, as DEA was playing smart and possession was even. When Bailey made his entrance after a few minutes, DEA began to get the better of the chances.
Rob Cissel was sent to the pitch 22 yards from goal. Elvis Zukovic scorched the restart through the wall. It took a deflection and found netting as DEA was in the lead, 1-0.
Seacoast came right back a few minutes later when a cross was sent to the back post. From a tough angle, a low drive slipped past Chris Harrington to level it at 1-1.
DEA looked to broke through when Ryan Carvalho fed Peter Cline in the middle. Cliney pushed outside to John LeBlanc. LeBlanc surveyed the scenery and found Bailey scorching through the middle. Bailey's first touch was spot-on, and he slipped inside with a good look at goal. "Cookie", Seacoast monsterous sweeper, tomahawked Bailey down and the ref took no delays in pointing to the spot.
Rob Cissel stepped up for the PK. Seacoast keeper was not to be fooled, however, as he read it perfectly and made the safe. To add salt to the wounds, Cissel drove forward for the rebound and a collision sent him back to the pitch. He ended up with a dislocated shoulder and had to leave the pitch for good. Back to being down a man...
Seacoast wasted no time, when their whiney #113 attacked the left side and let another low drive go to put them up 2-1 at the half.
With the strong winds now in DEA's face, they were in for a long second half. Wave after wave of Seacoast players kept storming through the backfield. Chris Jones, Jerold White, Chris Florek, and Chris Cloutier could only "ole'" them as they waltzed through time after time, putting a five-spot on the board and not letting up.
The game got a bit contentous in the waning moments when #113 was at it again. After being dispossessed by Flo in the corner, he weeped about being hacked in the ankles. A few words ensued, and as the play moved up the pitch Cloutier had heard enough. Frustrated with the pounding they were receiving and seeing Seacoast run up the score on a short-handed team, Cloutier turned to the whiner and said "You want to know what a hack in the ankle feels like?" And cracked him in the shin like a six-year old girl losing on the playground. Nobody saw it, but the ref passed out a yellow just on the sound alone. Cloutier was retiring from the Over-30's after the match, so he felt the need to leave his mark on the game somehow.
A disapointing season for DEA. It is time for some soul-searching for a lot of players who could not make the matches this season. Roster spots cannot be held for players who can only make a handful of games. DEA Management is already sitting down to allocate players to the Over-40's and to make cuts as there is a new swarm of players now ready to come onto the squad.
In closing, I would like to thank everybody who has been committed to the squad over the years. This sideline reporter started when the squad was named the Londonderry Pacers back in 1999, and we were in Division 6. The play was truly awful. It has been a long, fun ride, and it is my sincere wish to see the quality play of DEA continue for many years to come.
See you on the Indoor Circuit.
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