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Offence sputters in loss for LMG

Cowichan out-chanced by first-place Lakehill
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Govinda Innes fires a cross from the sidelines during a Cowichan LMG home game earlier this season. (Kevin Rothbauer/Citizen)

Things went well at the defensive end, but Cowichan LMG’s offence was firing blanks in a 1-0 loss to first-place Lakehill at Victoria’s Braefoot Park in Vancouver Island Soccer League Div. 1 action last Friday night.

“It was a tough game to watch,” admitted head coach Glen Martin, who was limited to observing the match as he served the first game of a suspension.

Cowichan got off to a good start, spending much of the early going in the Lakehill end, but nothing came of it, and Lakehill eventually scored the only goal of the match in the 60th minute.

Play was fairly even, Martin said, but Lakehill created more scoring opportunities than Cowichan. LMG goalkeeper Darian Achurch was outstanding as he kept his team in the game.

Martin felt there were other members of the team who could have done better.

“It wasn’t the best effort by some of our players,” he said. “Some players just didn’t perform as they should.”

The loss wasn’t the fault of assistant coach Ryan Flynn, who took the reins in Martin’s absence. Flynn’s lineup and strategies were no different from what Martin would have done.

“There was nothing I could have done that would have made a difference,” the head coach said. “When you don’t score, you can’t win a game. The best you can do is get one point.”

The loss dealt a big blow to LMG’s hopes for winning a sixth-straight VISL title. Cowichan dropped to fifth place in the top division, five points back of first-place Lakehill.

“It’s not over, but we have to run the table,” Martin said.

If things don’t go well, Cowichan could end up as low as fifth or sixth in the division, which would significantly impede their goal of making the provincial tournament.

On a positive note, the team recently signed Grayson Chalifoux, a starting striker with the Vancouver Island University Mariners, who should help remedy the offensive woes. Cowichan will be at home this Friday, hosting Juan de Fuca on the Sherman Road turf at 7:30 p.m.



Kevin Rothbauer

About the Author: Kevin Rothbauer

Kevin Rothbauer is the sports reporter for the Cowichan Valley Citizen
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