Corinth Holders nips Cleveland to get back in Two Rivers 3A race

For the first 65 minutes, Corinth Holders executed everything according to plan during Monday’s Two Rivers Conference boys soccer showdown against rival Cleveland.

Except finding a way to put the ball into the back of the net.

Cleveland veteran keeper Ethan Fellows foiled all of the Pirates’ attempts to that point, but that changed with Miguel Ibarra sent a low-left shot past Fellows for the lone goal of his club’s 1-0 home decision over the Rams.

After dropping an earlier match to league-leading Smithfield-Selma, the victory was one the Pirates needed if they had hopes of repeating as champions of the top-heavy league. Smithfield-Selma is alone in first place, while Corinth Holders (11-3-1, 4-1) are Cleveland (10-3, 2-1) are tied in the loss column for the second spot. The Pirates will host Smithfield-Selma on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in another crucial contest.

“To have a chance (at the league crown), this was one we needed to have,’’ said Corinth Holders coach Brent Walston. “But we still have five weeks left in the season, so we really aren’t thinking about winning the conference right now. We just have to worry about getting ready for a very good Smithfield-Selma team.’’

The Pirates controlled just about every facet of Monday’s match, but couldn’t score despite numerous quality attempts until Ibarra broke the drought.

Turning point

After being turned away every time by Fellows, Corinth Holders’ consistent work was rewarded when Ibarra took a feed from Derek Kaple and scored from 10 yards out with 15:39 remaining in the second half. At halftime, Walston’s main message to his players was to keep up the pressure — and not be frustrated by the lack of movement on the scoreboard.

“We talked about having our feet ready when the time came,’’ Walston said. “(Ibarra) had a big chance in the first half and didn’t convert. He buried the chance he had in the second half.’’

They said it

“(Corinth Holders) was just a step quicker than us,’’ said Cleveland coach Nicholas Gruhn. “Before we had all the rain, we were generating plenty of offense. We’ve lost a little bit of that feel, and we need to find a way to get it back. There is no margin for error in the conference.’’

Three who mattered

Miguel Ibarra, Corinth Holders: The junior forward made sure his third goal of the season came when his team needed it the most. Ibarra used his speed up the middle to earn an advantage in the box before accepting a perfect pass from Kaple.

Alan Landeros, Corinth Holders: A major factor in the Pirates’ time-of-possession dominance was their strong midfield play, which was led by Landeros, a senior veteran.

“Alan was pretty much everywhere tonight,’’ Walston said.

Ethan Fellows, Cleveland: If not for the effective net work of Fellows, Corinth Holders could have enjoyed a comfortable cushion by the time the final horn sounded. Fellows stopped 13 of the 14 shots he saw, several of which came in acrobatic fashion.

“Ethan has had a strong year for us,’’ Gruhn said. “He came up with some big saves. There was really nothing he could do (on Ibarra’s winning goal).’’

Thanks to Fellows’ heroics, along with a solid defensive group, the Rams have allowed just nine goals the entire campaign.

By the numbers

14: The number of shots Corinth Holders put on frame, only to be denied by Fellows on all but one occasion. A few more sailed either high or wide.

1: The number of shots on goal by Cleveland. That attempt came in the opening minute of the second half as the Rams had difficulty penetrating the Pirates’ sturdy midfield.

6: Shutouts earned this season by Corinth Holders keeper Ryan Mills, who is only a freshman. Mills has been in net for each of the Pirates’ 11 victories.

3: ‘The Big Three’ will be a storyline down the stretch in the Two Rivers Conference race as Smithfield-Selma, Corinth Holders and Cleveland have separated themselves from the rest of the pack.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Corinth Holders nips Cleveland to get back in Two Rivers 3A race."