The Marauders took a step backward on Wednesday, losing a frustrating 1-0 contest to a young and hardworking Exeter team. After a listless and scoreless first half, the Blue Hawks scored the only goal of the match early in the second half, and held off the Marauders, who had a few scoring chances but never were able to mount any sort of sustained attack. Following a pair of wins over outmatched opponents, Hanover lost their their 1-0 decision of the year, and this one to a lesser opponent.
The Marauders looked out of sorts in every aspect of their game. Five minutes into the match, a giveaway in their defensive end gave an Exeter striker an open look, and his shot rolled just wide of the post. Midway through the half, a long throw into the Hanover box gave big Exeter striker Patrick Walker a free header, but the redirection went over the top.
Hanover's usual edge in match such as this is at midfield, but the Marauders were off their game, giving the ball away regularly and not mustering the patience to maintain possession. The long periods of keeping the ball, which were in evidence even against top teams like Concord, were missing. Hanover only mustered four shots during the half, and had a single corner kick, as compared to three for Exeter.
Late in the half, Hanover's best chance to score came when Liam Collins hit a free kick from the right side that found Dillon Bradley at the far post, but Bradley's header, while on target, went straight to goalkeeper Dylan Firmin.
With the game scoreless at halftime, the Marauders had every reason to believe that they could flip the switch and assert themselves in the second half. They had a decent stretch of possession at the start of the half, and Firmin made a nice save on Christo Dragnev's attempt, but Exeter countered quickly in the 47th minute and two quick and accurate passes set up striker Garrett Roberts for a turnaround shot that beat Joey Perras to the lower left corner for a 1-0 lead.
Hanover showed more urgency, and ten minutes later the Marauders had their best chance of the game, when Colline hit a shot from outside the box that hit the underside of the square crossbar, bounced straight down, apparently not over the line, and into Firmin's hands with Dragnev parked right on the doorstep, inches from converting the rebound. Ten minutes later, Charlie Adams had a hard shot from the top of the box, his favorite finishing area, blocked by a defender. Christo Dragnev was open for a header on a long cross from the left flank, but it was just a bot too tall for him.
The Marauders took care of business in the defensive end as the clock wound down and they pushed forward for an equalizer. Perras made several important saves to keep his team within striking distance. Hanover had one final chance to tie the game when they were given a free kick outside the box, but Collins' free kick into a dangerous area at the far post never made contact with anyone. That was their last gasp, as Exeter played wisely in the waning minutes, and held on for their best win of the season.
It was a difficult loss to swallow for Hanover. They had plenty of healthy players, and had not over-exerted against Alvirne the day before in the rain. They were just a step slow on the Exeter goal, and lacked the patience and poise necessary to mount an effective attack. Their opportunities are just as compelling going forward, and a loss such as this can either stymie them or inspire them. Their next chance to take a step forward comes on Friday at home against Memorial, against what promises to be a large Homecoming crowd.
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