Russellville boys’ soccer team scores late winner at Priceville to stay perfect in area play
The Russellville High School girls’ and boys’ varsity soccer teams saw mixed results in the teams’ road Class 5A Area 15 matches at Priceville High School on Friday night. The RHS girls lost to the Lady Bulldogs 4-1 while the RHS boys were able to secure the valuable area victory with a game-winning goal in the final minutes.
In the opening game of the evening the Lady Golden Tigers were able to hang around for the first 40 minutes until the hosts put the contest on ice with two second half goals.
Russellville went down 2-0 early but found a response a couple of minutes before the break when Lusero Morales caught the Priceville keeper out of position.
A poked pass from Camila Acosta Garcia to Morales after a poor PHS clearance was likely just meant to maintain possession in an attempt to start another attack in the the Lady Bulldogs half, but Morales saw the Priceville goalkeeper about six yards off her line and took her chance. From 25 yards out, Morales hit it first time, arching her shot over the keeper’s outstretched arms and into the top right corner of goal to make it 2-1 with just over two minutes left in the half.
Unfortunately for the Lady Golden Tigers that momentum before the half didn’t carry over into the final 40 minutes. Priceville was able to retake control with a third goal on a penalty kick in the 55th minute. The hosts grabbed a fourth and final goal about four minutes later to put the match out of reach for the visitors.
The defeat dropped the Lady Golden Tigers to 5-5 overall and 2-1 in the area after a 5-0 win over Lawrence County and a 2-1 loss to Jasper earlier in the week.
In the proceeding boys’ game, the Golden Tigers and Bulldogs engaged in a battle that remained scoreless until the dying minutes.
Ultimately, with 75 minutes gone, it was Russellville that grabbed the winner when German Perez found himself in the right place at the right time.
Following a smashed Jose Tristan shot from 20 yards out that pinged off the far post, Perez, making sure to keep himself onside, was there at the scene to bungle in the go-ahead goal on the rebound, the ball ricocheting off the junior and past the keeper to ripple the back of the net.
The Priceville players, hands on their heads after the ball went in, were stunned, and for the remaining four minutes and change the Golden Tigers continued to press their advantage and keep the hosts on the backfoot.
Russellville probably should’ve added a second goal two minutes later when an excellent display of passing and a backheel flick to Tristan in the box gave the sophomore an excellent opportunity to compliment his earlier assist with a curled shot from 12 yards out. Unfortunately Tristan got under the ball and sent his shot over the crossbar.
Nonetheless, the Golden Tigers were easily able to ride out the remaining few minutes and secure their 13th win of the campaign and keep a flawless area record through three matches.
Russellville’s boys, after falling to Albertville 3-0 in late February, are now riding a seven-game winning streak. The Golden Tigers will look to continue that run when they face Class 7A Florence for their next match on Monday, March 16.