Hanover's strong start to the season continued on Friday, as the Marauders scored three early goals and then survived a Portsmouth rally, icing the game on a spectacular Liam Colling free kick to beat the Clippers 4-1 and run their record on the young season to 4-0.
Portsmouth entered the game on a four-game winning streak, which included a 1-0 win over Seacoast rival Exeter, but the Marauders brought them quickly to earth in the opening minutes, stringing three clinical passes on a fast break and taking a 1-0 lead when Blake Palmer cooly finished a pass from Christo Dragnev. Hanover kept the pressure on, with Nathan Subrahmanian poking the ball over the bar from close range, and Charlie Adams hitting the near post on a shot from the right side.
Adams gave Hanover a 2-0 lead just past the thirteen-minute mark, scoring in his fourth straight game when a luckless Portsmouth defender played the ball right to him, and he had all the time in the world to pick a corner and beat Clipper goalkeeper Jared Hett. Adams scored again at 28:14, taking a pass from Latham Allison and moving from right to left in the penalty box, hitting a left-footer past Hett to make the score 3-0.
Portsmouth had several good chances in the early going just missing to goal on shots from energetic forward Parker Rice and skillful striker Nick Dalesio. Dillon Bradley kept Portsmouth off the board with a nice clear, and Gari Li made a superb tackle on Rice after a dangerous run into the box.
Hanover had several good chances as well, with David Stoffel facing an empty net after Hett found himself out of position, only to clear the crossbar with his shot. Adams played a dangerous free kick through the box, but no one was able to connect from close range.
Sitting on a 3-0 lead at halftime, and boasting fresh legs after shuttling a lot of subs in and out of the game in the first forty minutes, Hanover was sitting pretty. Joey Perras sat on the end of the bench, blowing up party balloons, while Coach Grabill got salty, reminding him that anything was possible.
Shockingly, anything happened. Portsmouth scored two quick goals in the first nine minutes, and the Clippers were back in business. First, two Marauder defenders whiffed on a run by rookie striker Ryan Prinze, allowing him to walk in along on Hans Williams in goal and give his team new life. Five minutes later a silly foul outside the box gave the Clippers a free kick, and Dalesio beat the Marauder defensive wall with a bending ball that beat Williams to the near corner and cut Hanover's lead to one.
This would have been a great moment for Hanover to panic, but it never happened. Situations like this call for leaders to step up, and Marauder Captain Liam Collins was equal to the task. Less than two minutes after Portsmouth had pulled to within one goal, Hanover was awarded a free kick outside the Clipper penalty area, and Collins struck a perfect free kick, knocking it past the Portsmouth wall and off the near post, sending it into the far side netting. The Marauders were back in the driver's seat. The danger was past. The Marauders had made mistakes and been punished for them, but they were playing well, and they never lost their poise, and Portsmouth couldn't find a way back in the game.
Both teams had chances as the game wound down. Clipper keeper Hett raced off his line to make a superb stop at the feet of Adams, and had raced onto a well-placed through ball. Dalesio launched a long range shot that William bobbled, but Portsmouth striker Tristan Hamilton was unable to collect the juicy rebound. Christo Dragnev got his head on a corner kick, but put the ball over the Portsmouth goal. Blake Palmer just missed connecting with a ball on the doorstep after a great centering pass. Williams made one more save on a long shot by Dennis Bolduc, and the clock wound down on a satisfying victory over a well-coached, energetic team.
Hanover has little time to rest, facing one of their strongest opponents on Monday when Manchester Central comes to town for a 4:00 game at Merriman-Branch Field. The Marauders will have no trouble remembering their last encounter with Central a 5-1 thrashing last year at Gill Stadium. Their only ray of sunshine was a wonderful free kick by Collins for the only Hanover goal. It was a harbinger of things to come. Central is loaded this year, and has breezed through the early part of their schedule with an unbeaten. "This is good timing," commented Coach Grabill. "The strongest teams bring out the best in us, and we are ready to play a total game after showing flashes in the first four matches. We will have to be very good to win, but we are capable of doing it."
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