Happy Homecoming: Marauders Blank Memorial 5-0

Homecoming could not have come at a better time for a weary Marauder squad, playing their third match in four days and coming off a disappointing road loss to Exeter two days earlier.  The cozy confines of Merriman-Branch Field were just what the doctor ordered for Hanover, who scored twice in the first 2:04 of the match and were never challenged by Memorial.  The 5-0 final tally was generous, given the high quality of Hanover’s play and the one-sided nature of the game.  The Marauders generated 32 shots at the Memorial goal, and conceded only one shot in the other direction.

Hanover has had quick starts this season, but never more rapid than on Friday, when they took the lead inside of a minute.  Gaining control of the ball in their own end after the kickoff, they worked it down the right flank and Aiden Rowley send Christo Dragnev loose toward the corner after his great diagonal run.  Dragnev turned his defender and closed on the goal, dishing a ball backwards to a streaking Charlie Adams, who finished clinically for his 13^th goal of the season.

Before Memorial had a chance to breathe, Hanover had the ball again in the Crusader end, and earned a corner kick. Liam Collins hit a perfectly weighted driven inswinger to the near post, and Dragnev timed his run perfectly to head it in for a 2-0 lead that looked like 200-0 at the time.  Memorial tightened up, but Hanover maintained a one-sided edge in possession despite beginning a trickle of substitutions that would become a mighty flow by the end of the match.

The defense was efficient in front of Hans Williams, who made a routine save look routine on a long shot by Mersudin Omerbegovic, and then earned another DK (dope keeper) citation for a brave forward dive in the face of an onrushing attacker to corral a lofted through ball.  That was the sum total of Williams’ heavy lifting for the rest of the contest.

Shortly after the 20 minute mark Charlie Adams looked to the sidelines and saw a throng of midfielders waiting to enter the game.  Knowing his time was up, ne made one more nice play, penetrating the box and then dishing a pass to a streaking Amane Matsuoka, whose shot straight at goalkeeper Eldin Husanovic was so hard that he couldn’t hold it.  The goal was the first of many in Matsuoka’s blooming career.  The Marauders had a number of other good looks in the half, notable a shot by Nathan Subrahmanian that just rolled by the far post, and a pair of bids by Dillon Bradley.  Husanovic made a great save on a bad angle bid by Eli Stack, hunting for his elusive first goal.

Hanover began the second half with a new back line and a renewed determination to keep the game firmly in hand.  They applied pressure almost immediately, and were rewarded in the seventh minute with a highlight goal by Blake Palmer, who took a pass from Adams on the left side, cut back past a flailing defender, and buried a right footed shot for his second goal of the campaign.  Three minutes later Stack finally hit paydirt, converting a short rebound after Husanovic couldn’t control the rebound after a hard shot by Liam Collins.

Hanover had a 5-0 lead with thirty minutes left to play, but some of the best soccer of the day was yet to come.  With the exception of Williams in goal, every starter retired to the bench, and by the end of the match 26 players had seen action and17 of them registered at least one shot on goal.  The level of play was extremely high.  Patrick Osborn subbed in for Stack up top and made his presence felt with numerous good runs, and a shot just wide of the post.  Colm Seigne continued his good work as an attacking midfielder and provocateur. Will Blinkhorn took over Matty’s role as field marshall and did a great job, almost scoring on a high drive and hitting yet another excellent corner kick.  The list goes on:  Noah Pikielny gave a clinic on how a defender should get forward and join the attack.  Nico Mayo-Pushee, continuing his rehabilitation, registered his first shot on goal.  Toño Correa had three shots on goal in 30 minutes, and was the team leader in that category.  Gary Li tended to the massive bruise on his forehead by repeatedly heading long, high serves into the defensive end.  Ethan Ross was quietly flawless at center back.

The Marauders are now 7-3, and poised to make a move into the top four in the Division One standings, in search of the elusive second round home field advantage.  Several challenging matches await.  One Tuesday, Hanover travels to Timbelane, hoping to get a win on a field where they have never been  victorious.  They return home Friday to host a Winnacunnet team that has won five in a row, including a recent defeat of Exeter.  Thanks to their good home cooking, the Marauders are fortified for the road ahead.