May 23, 2012 PDL--Toronto Lynx vs Hamilton FC Rage

[Rocket Robin]

Result of the Wednesday May 23, 2012 PDL game between Toronto Lynx and

Hamilton FC Rage played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 11:00am.

22 min...Lynx James Galvani GOAL...TL Aaron McKenna cross from right

has Galvani shoot 10 yarder that is past goalie Conor Hurley and saved

and cleared one yard behind end line by defender.

46 min (1st half)...Rage Lewis Ellis GOAL...Ellis jabs at ball

at 7 yards and defender makes mid-air clerance one yard behind

line with goalie at 5 yards who could not catch ball.

67 min...Rage Mark Reilly GOAL...Rage Will Grocott rushes on right

and from 20 yards sends cross through box to open Reilly for kick

in from 5 yards to open net with goalie Matthew Silva guarding the

right post.

88 min...Rage Mark Reilly GOAL...Reilly on breakaway from 50 yards

runs down middle and from 20 yards taps ball under sprawling goalie

at 16 yards.

Final Score:....Toronto Lynx.....1.......Hamilton FC Rage.....3.....

Attendance was about 75 on this hot day with a hazy sun in the south.

While in prior years this would have been organized as a school day

game, there were very few children in the crowd.

Referee Mike Bradley had his job made easier by assistants Amando

Pereira and Alex Themistocleous both being in the right spot to see

a goal each just barely crossing the end line. I didn't see him

give out one Yellow card but the official game report lists one

card each in the last two minutes of the game but that lists the

final goal scored 13 minutes earlier than my time.

Rage subbing of goal scorer Lewis Ellis at 64 minutes with Mark

Reilly was very efficient as Reilly scored within three minutes

of entering the game.

Lynx looked like the better team for the first 45 minutes but then

let in the injury time goal. They still looked good until 60

minutes but got few chances after that and Rage dominated after

that as the Lynx had to open up left themselves open to counterattack.

Best non-scoring chances were at 14 minutes when Lynx had a cornerkick

from the left that was over the players in the box but Lynx Callum Home

took a 12 yard header that was caught by the goalie. 21 minutes had

Rage Will Grocott take a 25 yard freekick from the right that was low

and just a half-step ahead of the charging Rage Shane Keely at 5 yards

and the ball bounced just wide left of the post. 43 minutes had Lynx

Randy Ribero rush on the left and cross over a Lynx player and

a defender in the center of the box but Lynx Macca Wilde chested the

ball down on the right and shot from 10 yards that the sliding goalie

blocked on the right post and deflect for a cornerkick. One minute

later Lynx James Galvani received a breakaway pass at 45 yards on the

right and he charged in to 12 yards and shot just wide left of the post.

(what a difference to the game either of these missed chances would

have made if even one had been converted). 59 minutes had Macca Wilde take

a 22 yard freekick from the left that had the ball dip and land on the

top of the net. A minute later Rage Will Grocott took a cornerkick from

the right had Rage Garret McConville head that wide right up the middle

from 8 yards. 70 minutes had Grocott hold off a defender when he received

a cross from the left and got away a 10 yard shot when he cut around him

and hit the outside of the left post. 71 minutes had Lynx Galvani bend

in a cross from 22 yards on the right and the goalie leapt to palm the

ball wide left of the top corner of the net. 87 minutes had Lynx Wilde

cornerkick from right that had Lynx Konner McNamara head from 10 yards

that deflected away from the goal and that started the Rage on their

breakaway goal.

About today's low attendance, head coach/team owner Duncan Wilde said

the team booked this time for "stadium availability" as they can't

always get the times they wanted. He said the team will have a kids'

day in the summer when they'll have children from day camps in

attendance. Today's daytime game was fine with me as I had a ticket

for the Amway Canadian Championship Final game at BMO Field later

tonight. The Lynx schedule has no clashes with Toronto FC home games.

(I knew what mood he was in having come by the change room five minutes

earlier and hearing him tearing into his team--so no tactical

questions today).

Lynx had two armband wearing captains today with Macca Wilde and

Konner McNamara at the coin toss.

Lynx open their season at 0-2 (they beat Hamilton in their second home

game last year). They now have three road games against FC London and

the two Chicago teams. Their next home game is on Thursday June 7th

at 7:00pm against Michigan Bucks who last year beat them twice

by 4-0 scores.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca