Catonsville boys soccer rallies for 2-1 victory over Hereford, handing Bulls their first loss – Beragampengetahuan

Just over six minutes into Friday’s soccer game, host Catonsville allowed an own-goal to Hereford after an errant pass back toward the keeper. However, the Comets overcame the mistake and rallied for a 2-1 victory over the previously unbeaten Bulls.

“This team is good. They stay positive, they battle back and we don’t give up even when bizarre things like the own-goal happen,” Catonsville coach Brendan Kennedy said.

Catonsville scored the equalizer with 6:20 left in the first half when TZ Thuang converted a Tommy Bolster throw-in off the post for his second goal of the season.

“I just made a backward run I guess, I just ran in from the back,” Thuang said. “I’m pretty short compared to them, so they couldn’t really see me running behind them.”

The dangerous long throws by Bolster were a threat to the Bulls the entire game.

“We basically lost tonight in not great fashion. So the goals that we gave away, the first one was just awful — not marking off of a throw-in,” Hereford coach Adam Mizzell said. ”We talk about probability and we gave them three throw-ins in 30 seconds and the more they get to throw the ball in, the higher the probability they are going to score.”

Thuang’s goal culminated a stretch of solid midfield play, led by captain Cole Peercy and JP Dement, and spirited attacking runs by forward Emmanuel Amoako.

“We got settled down really after that own-goal and I thought we played a really strong 60 minutes,” Kennedy said. “Granted, a good team like Hereford is still going to create chances on you, but I’m really proud of our midfield the way we were able to work the ball through and our build-up play.”

Hereford took eight shots in the first half with the closest scoring chance coming less than two minutes into the game, but Nick Antonakas’ shot was deflected by goalie Ryan Graham off the crossbar. It was the only shot on goal by the Bulls in the opening half.

The Bulls came out aggressively early in the second half, but shots by Antonakas and Ben Wheeler were saved by Graham.

Catonsville’s first shot attempt of the second half resulted in a goal by Tony Argueta. He gathered a pass from 20 yards out, spun and fired past keeper Garrett Pflugard with 25:25 left in the second half.

“I struggled right there when he put his body on me, so I just turned it and I hit it,” Argueta said. “I just moved fast around him.”

“It was a fantastic hit by Tony,” Kennedy said. “I love that we have a guy you can count on to create early and take those chances and help us attack direct and get balls on frame.”

Hereford only had three more shots the rest of the way with the closest chance being Tyler Warfel’s shot that sailed wide.

“Make no mistake, we lost this game 2-0, that’s just the way it was, we couldn’t manufacture a goal and some of our better guys get looks around the goal. We just didn’t have any appetite for a goal to fabricate any type of goal in the flow of play, set pieces, anything else. We just didn’t look interested and we paid the price for it,” Mizzell said.

It was the first loss of the season for the Bulls, who dropped to 5-1-1.

“Our team looked a little sluggish, a little slow, a little lazy and being the third game in four days that will do it to you,” Mizzell said. “Having said that, take nothing away, Catonsville was the better team. Catonsville is a good team, make no mistake. I don’t what the results say, that’s a quality team coached by a quality coach.”

Catonsville improved to 5-2-1 and Kennedy likes the direction his team is headed.

“The second 60 minutes, I’m really proud of the way we played the ball and moved it up the field,” Kennedy said. “It’s a big improvement off of some of our games recently and that’s the way we want to do it, we want to just keep getting better at it.”