San Benito scores two quick goals to open Tuesday’s match, but
can’t hold in for the victory
HOLLISTER
Tuesday’s match-up between San Benito and Gilroy was quite the opposite compared to last year.
At least scoring-wise.
The Haybalers jumped out to a 2-0 lead Tuesday after Alex Castillo connected on a right cross from Efrain Espinoza in the 10th minute and Alejandro Salvatier pocketed a goal from 18 yards out in the 20th minute. But the lead was short-lived, as the visiting Mustangs deposited three unanswered goals on their way to a 4-3 victory.
“It was like the (Everett) Alvarez game,” San Benito head coach Ramiro Ramos said of the Haybalers’ 1-1 tie with the Salinas school last week. “We had the game in our pocket.
“But we lost it on free kicks and that’s a weakness. When the ball is in the air, we can’t win it. The guys are having trouble when the ball is in the air.”
Gilroy, which scored three goals in the 25th, 30th and 35th minutes to finish the first half, scored two of those goals on free kicks and another on a corner kick.
The ‘Balers managed to tie the game at 3-all in the second half, though, when sweeper Carlos Ramirez went the length of the field and juked about six different players, Ramos said.
“All the way from the back,” Ramos added. “He did it so calmly. It was amazing.
“A one-man goal.”
But Gilroy, which improves to 3-1-2 in the Tri-County Athletic League with the win, scored the go-ahead goal with 12 minutes remaining in regulation.
Ramos said keeper Edgar Fernandez had control of the ball on the game-winning play, but Mustang forwards punched it away from the San Benito goalie and into the net.
No penalty was called, however.
“It’s not fair to the kids,” Ramos said. “It’s actually sad to see.”
San Benito is now 1-4-1 in the TCAL.
The high-scoring outcome to Tuesday’s game was a far different story from last year’s 1-0 match, which saw Gilroy pocket the game’s only goal in the 77th minute.
The coach of that team last year was Ben Alvarez, who coached San Benito on Tuesday. Ramos, who watched the game from the parking lot, was red carded during San Benito’s match at Salinas last week, and was forced to sit out Tuesday’s game as a result.
The Haybalers (4-8-1 overall) will host Palma on Monday. Kick-off is at 3:30 p.m.
TEAM 1 2 F
GIL 3 1 4
SAN 2 1 3
