Stu (Shake and Bake) Barker scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season as the Cowichan 49ers defeated Gorge FC 5-0 in a Vancouver Island Soccer League masters A game in Victoria on Saturday.
“The game was a lot harder than the score line illustrated,” 49ers player/manager Neall (Rocket) Rowlings reported. “They are a good team, but the boys played like a unit.”
George (Hagi) Thomas scored a scissor-kick goal in the early going, and Rowlings and Ryan (Fish) Fusick also found the net, while Chris Mueller earned his second straight shutout.
Jordan Clarke had a good game, starting in centre midfield and moving to centre back, Nick Zuback ran hard in his second game back after a long layoff due to injury, and Jeff Mann came close to scoring his first goal of the season.
The 49ers will visit Saanich FC Forest this Saturday. Saanich is near the bottom of the standings, but Cowichan knows better than to look past them, Rowlings insisted.
“We don’t take them lightly,” he said. “The games are never easy.”
Travis Brown scored twice as the Cowichan Steelheads won their masters A game 2-0 over Castaways Junior at the Sherman Road turf last Saturday. Curtis Flynn had a strong game up front as he filled in for leading scorer Kevin Smith, who took a maintenance day. Preston Johnny earned the clean sheet.
The Steelheads will visit first-place UVic Alumni this Friday.