York Region Shooters extended their unbeaten streak to 17 games with a 2-2 tie at Kingston FC, while Serbian White Eagles defeated Niagara United 6-3, two games in the Canadian Soccer League Saturday night.
Both games were important in the playoff picture, particularly for Serbian White Eagles with the win providing an end of the season chance to be one of eight teams to kickoff the post-season series. But the Toronto area team needs a win over London City on October 4 to be in the quarterfinals a week later.
Kingston FC has a playoff spot, but the 2-2 draw leaves the eastern Ontario side still fighting for a place in the top four to gain home advantage in the playoffs.
Mademba Ba scored yet again to give Kingston the lead at Queen’s West Field, picking up a deflection off a York Region defender from a cross by Nathan Klemencic on the Kingston wing, a 1-0 score at 13 minutes
Forward Adrian Pena tied the game 1-1 for York Region Shooters at 41 minutes, a penalty kick awarded following hand ball by a Kingston defender and it was 1-1 at the interval.
Ba struck his second to give the home side a 2-1 lead at 51 minutes, finding the net past York Region goalkeeper Camilo Benzi on a breakaway, and the tying goal was scored by Shooters’ midfielder Mehdi Baratimahvar off a corner kick at the 70th minute mark, a 2-2 score at the final whistle.
Benzi was shown the red card and ejected for dissent at the end of the game.
Milos Scepanovic score three in the 6-3 Serbian White Eagles victory over Niagara United at Lamport Stadium in Toronto, he found the net at 31, 60 (from the penalty spot) and 82 minutes for eight goals on the season.
The game’s opening goal was scored by Serbian Eagles’ midfielder Branislav Vukomanovic at the 20th minute mark, forward Milos Rudan made it 2-0 at 23 minutes, Scepanovic struck the third before Niagara’s Derek Paterson drove the ball into the net from the penalty spot at 42 minutes and it was 3-1 at half-time.
Scepanovic made it 4-1 at 60 minutes, Vitomar Jelic increased the lead to 5-1 six minutes later, Colin Dougan scored for Niagara at 72 minutes for a 5-2 score, Niagara’s Ben N’Goran reduced the lead to 5-3 at 77 minutes and Scepanovic completed the scoring off a free kick at 82 minutes, a 6-3 final score.
The seven First Division teams with playoff berths for the quarterfinal games October 10 -12 are: York Region Shooters, Toronto Croatia, Kingston FC, North York Astros, Burlington SC, SC Waterloo, Brampton City Utd while London City or Serbian White Eagles will be the eighth team.
There was one game in the CSL Second Division Saturday night, Kingston FC B and York Region Shooters B playing to a 2-2 tie.
