ATTLEBORO, Mass. – With the Attleboro boys soccer and football teams piled into the stands behind the benches, the noise felt more like a playoff game than simply the third league game of a long season. Wednesday night’s crowd seemed to spur on both teams, adding extra energy to a rivalry that has a history of close, physical encounters.
Heading into the final 15 minutes of a scoreless game at Tozier-Cassidy Field, the home crowd started chanting that they wanted a goal. The Bombardiers almost immediately obliged. Emily Khang, who sat out the abbreviated 2020 season, got on the end of a knockdown header by Ally Haigh and slammed home the go-ahead goal.
Attleboro managed to hold on over a frantic closing stretch, pulling out a 1-0 win over North Attleboro. It was a game that saw both teams have goals disallowed and North watch a late penalty appeal controversially get waved away.
“It was a pretty cool atmosphere to be a part of and I thought it was pretty interesting the timing of the chant and the goal,” Attleboro coach Steve Santos said afterwards. “That was a good effort to not quit on that.”
He added, “We’ve just got to work on finishing. They grind, they fight, but it’s just one ball away, one call one way, a goal taken away on each side, it’s crazy and it becomes anyone’s game.”
North coach Bill Wallace said, “Three games into the season and you have that kind of play? It’s pretty good. I’m proud of the way they played and we just need to find the back of the net.”
The first half was all Attleboro. The Bombardiers came storming out of the gates and took control of the center of the pitch, forcing North backwards. Jamie Davies had a good chance in the opening minute but her shot from the edge of the box was saved by North keeper Maddie Ferrin. Four minutes later, Kahlan Gray had a look from the left side of the box but it sailed just over the bar.
North’s first good break came in the 16th minute when Steph McKenna got free in the right channel. She tried to play the ball into the path of Brooke Sullivan, but Bethany Alves rushed back to clear the ball on the edge of the Attleboro penalty area.
Davies continued to be a thorn in the side of the North defense. She nearly took advantage of a bad bounce to get in behind only for Ferrin to slide out and collect. Three minutes later, a good turn by Kacey Parker on the right opened space for Davies in the middle. She had a nice touch to create room for a shot but again Ferrin was able to get behind it.
The visitors had their first good scoring chances in the final 10 minutes of the half. Emma Pratt’s corner bounced multiple times in the box, but the Bombardiers were finally able to clear. Another Pratt corner picked out Caroline Ferrin at the back post but the header was just wide. Maddie Ferrin had to be quick on the other end to beat Zoe Johnson-Kiff to a Haigh ball over the top.
After being on the back foot for much of the opening 40 minutes, North nearly scored twice in the first five minutes after the break. Caroline Ferrin’s through ball sprung McKenna behind the Attleboro defense but Alexis Campbell was able to make a good kick save. The ball rebounded to McKenna, who chipped the ball over the keeper and into the middle where Pratt nodded it home only to have the goal waived away for offsides.
Two minutes later, Campbell was called into action again. This time Ferrin’s ball over the top found Pratt on the left side of the box and again the Attleboro keeper showed quick feet to deny the chance. The rebound was knocked wide.
“It helps us feel a little more relaxed,” said Santos of Campbell, his junior netminder who was playing her first game back from an injury. “She brings a lot of that varsity experience back there with this being her second year.”
Nearing the midway point of the second half, a goal was disallowed on the other end. An Attleboro corner turned into a scrum in the box and the ball was eventually smashed in under the bar. The official quickly whistled to end the home team’s celebration, as the ball had crossed the end line (hitting the official that was stationed out of bounds) before the goal.
Wallace said, “They fed off the crowd. Both teams did. I think the energy we had was, to a point, more of an angry energy and we made mistakes that we don’t ordinarily make but it’s from playing with pride, playing with passion and I can’t fault them for that.”
Seven minutes later, Attleboro had the lead. Alves set everything up with a long free kick to the back post. Haigh rose highest and headed the ball down towards the penalty spot. The ball took a slight deflection off a North defender and fell to Khang, who buried the close-range chance.
North had a penalty shout with 11 minutes on the clock. Following a throw, Haley Sinacola chipped the ball into Autumn Hewitt, who was bundled over from behind. Although the players ended up on the ground in the box, the official ruled that contact started outside and gave only a free kick. “I’d rather he not blow the whistle and just play on,” said Wallace after the game. Pratt’s ball to the back stick just missed Ferrin and went wide.
Davies nearly put the contest to rest with a few minutes to go, but Maddie Ferrin was able to get a fingertip to a shot heading for the bottom corner and keep it a one-goal game. Despite North throwing everything forward, Attleboro held on for its first league win of the season.
“I think we played a lot more composed that first half,” Santos explained. The second half we started getting away from the way we should be playing. The panic started setting in a little bit and then once we got that goal it was adrenaline and it became fight time but we still never got to the point where we settled down and moved the ball.”
Attleboro (2-2) will try to carry the momentum Monday’s trip to Milford. North Attleboro (1-2) will try to rebound with a non-league game against Braintree on Friday.
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