League

Downriver Stadium
Spectators: 7500 (Terracing: 5625, Seating: 1725, VIP seats: 150) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Leland Rubio kicked off to start the match. An unexpectedly hard shot by Leland Rubio in the 4th minute of play forced Downriver AFC's goalkeeper Ivan Higgins to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. 6 minutes into the match, Downriver AFC's goal looked a bit too open when Leland Rubio came free, but Ivan Higgins reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. After 10 played minutes John Hartford FC got a freekick which was hit by Denver Thacker. Felix Yates made in the 11th minute of the game a quick throw-in and Tod Cronshagen immediately put the ball in play. After 16 played minutes Downriver AFC got a freekick which was hit by Ian Tompkins. Sydney Cowan hit a great freekick 18 minutes into the match. In the 21st minute the ball was on its way in behind Downriver AFC's goalkeeper Ivan Higgins, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. When Downriver AFC's Sydney Cowan in the 22nd minute got a chance for a shot 22nd didn't hesitate and placed the ball to the right of the goalie. A beautiful save bye John Hartford FC's goalie prevented a goal. Rocco Berg didn't quite understand what happened when in the 26 minute of the game managed to get a great opportunity for a goal and then missed the goal by a feet. In the 30th minute, Sydney Cowan got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. In the 34th minute, Leland Rubio left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The John Hartford FC fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 0-1. After 38 played minutes John Hartford FC got a freekick which was hit by Denver Thacker. Ivan Higgins showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Reyes Rivas in the 42nd minute of the match. When Domenico Arden fell near the penalty area in the 47th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Downriver AFC's protests and gave Domenico Arden a yellow card for diving instead. A collision led to Downriver AFC getting a freekick after 47 minutes play. Domenico Arden hit a great ball. The crowd was extremely unhappy with the home team's performance in the first half. They were losing 0-1.

The hometeam waved at the audience when it was time for Sydney Cowan to strike the kick off in the second half. 52 minutes into the match, Leland Rubio had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Ivan Higgins. Downriver AFC's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Leland Rubio was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 0-2. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Vince Bustamante during the 56th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. After a rather tough play, Downriver AFC's Vince Bustamante got a free kick in the 56th minute. Leland Rubio struck a weak shot in the 58th minute. Ivan Higgins didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for John Hartford FC. When Downriver AFC's Sydney Cowan in the 62nd minute got a chance for a shot 62nd didn't hesitate and placed the ball to the right of the goalie. A beautiful save bye John Hartford FC's goalie prevented a goal. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Sydney Cowan in the 68th minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Whitney Swift prevented the ball from getting in the gole. After 70 minutes, Denver Thacker mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the John Hartford FC and the Downriver AFC players grew even worse after the yellow card. John Hartford FC's Wayne MacKenzie was substituted for Wilton Lowery. Whitney Swift made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Sydney Cowan in the 76th minute of play. When Downriver AFC's Sydney Cowan in the 81st minute got a chance for a shot 81st didn't hesitate and placed the ball to the right of the goalie. A beautiful save bye John Hartford FC's goalie prevented a goal. After a rather tough play, John Hartford FC's Reyes Rivas got a free kick in the 83rd minute. After having played for 85 minutes, Sydney Cowan managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Downriver AFC's supporters crossed their fingers, but Sydney Cowan was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. A collision led to Downriver AFC getting a freekick after 87 minutes play. Ian Tompkins hit a great ball. The supporters of John Hartford FC booed when Downriver AFC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 97 match minutes in a wonderful position. Oscar Tomlinson didn't get a good kick on the ball. The Downriver AFC fans had already started to leave before the final whistle blew. John Hartford FC were clearly better and deserved to take the win.