Wallaceburg Sting Cap Off Season

Wallaceburg Sting 2011

The Wallaceburg Sting capped off a disappointing season with 3 games in the last 11 days of their season.
First up, the Sting took their game on the road to play London Portuguese, a team who in similar fate to the Sting, were fighting to avoid relegation.

The Sting got off to a rocky start, allowing an early goal to go down 1-0, but quickly rebounded by settling their game and playing with more composure. Both teams exchanged opportunities throughout the rest of first half, with both sides tallying a goal of their own. Roberto Attardi found enough space and drove a hard shot past the Portuguese keeper to keep the Sting within a goal. Trailing 2-1 at half, the second half saw much of the same, until the Portuguese were able to beat the Wallaceburg keeper on a free kick to give them a 3-1 cushion. This forced the Sting to push for a goal of their own. A Portuguese victory would guarantee they remained in Premier, while officially relegating the Sting to First division. The Sting’s late offensive push left them vulnerable defensively, resulting in two late Portuguese goals, seeing the Sting fall in a 5-1 defeat.

Next, the Sting hosted their final home game of the season versus the Sarnia Fury, but this time at Steinoff Park. Their usual home field, Kinsmen Park, had begun some much needed ground work & re-surfacing, due to be ready some time next season.

Having previously tied the Fury 1-1, the Sting knew it was a game within their grasp as they continued searching for their long awaited first victory. And it appeared from the get-go this would be it. While the first few minutes saw both teams trying to assert their game, Wallaceburg quickly and noticeably took control. They out possessed the Fury by a large margin in first half play, continually beating them down the right wing line to generate scoring chances aplenty. But scoring is something the Sting have struggled with all season, and despite giving the Sarnia keeper a fit, they couldn’t find the back of the net, going into the half at a scoreless draw.

The Sting continued their dominance in the game’s 2nd half, with the majority of play in Sarnia’s defensive half. However, on a defensive clear by a Sarnia defender, their lone striker got himself into a 1-on-2 fast-break attack. As the two Sting defender’s tried to halt the striker’s forward progress, the Fury attacker faked a couple shots, before launching one for real. As luck would have it, his shot would go directly between the legs of the nearby holding defender and into the bottom right corner of the Sting’s net, out of reach of the Wallaceburg keeper.

The Sting continued to press with several point blank chances. Some went wide, others blocked or saved, while another saw the attacker bobble the ball in his feet just long enough for a Fury defender to converge. When the final whistle blew, the Sting had nothing to show for on the scoresheet, falling by a final score of 1-0.

To finish off their season, the Sting travelled to St. Thomas on Tuesday, September 20th. The game began with the feel of what it really was, a meaningless game. With neither team able to alter their positioning of any significance in the standings, it began with a less competitive-edge than a typical game. And with that, the game kind of went back & forth in the first half with neither team showing much concern for their missed opportunities offensively or miscommunication defensively. Wallaceburg moved the ball well and generated quality scoring chances, but the game went into the halftime break at a 0-0 tie.

St. Thomas was able to get on the board 15-20 minutes into the second half when a ball was left uncontested inside the Sting’s 18-yard box. The St. Thomas attacker walked in, placing the ball into the side of the net for a 1-0 lead. It wasn’t long after when a cross from the left wing found the foot of a attacker out front. As two Sting defender’s converged simultaneously to prevent the attacker nearing the Wallaceburg net, the collision between the 3 players saw the ball rebound to another St. Thomas player trailing the play. He too, made no mistake, burying the ball for a 2-0 lead.

Wallaceburg wasn’t ready to give in to defeat easily though. They mounted their own attacks and soon after, found the scoreboard. From about 20 yards out, Kurtis Lubber’s broke laterally across the top of the 18-yard box and was taken down on a foul. As the St. Thomas keeper was on his near post setting up his wall of defenders, Lubbers’ caught St. Thomas by surprise, smoothly hitting the ball into the open area of the net far post. The Sting cut their deficit in half, now trailing only 2-1.

Shortly thereafter, Wallaceburg, however, found themselves not marking an attacker just inside their 18-yard box when the play was being carried down their right wing. The cross came right to the feet of the open forward, who released a shot just before the nearest Sting defender converged. The score now read 3-1 in favour of St. Thomas but Wallaceburg themselves, weren’t done just yet.

A determined Kurtis Lubbers’ broke in yet again, breaking into 18-yard box down the right side and skinning a defender, before being taken down along the goalline at the 6 yard box. The foul resulted in a penalty shot being awarded, with Lubber’s graciously opting to allow Colin McArthur, a key piece to the Sting’s ball control, to take the penalty kick. McArthur made no mistake, burying the ball into the left side of the net to make it a 3-2 game.

Little time remained, and with the few chances Wallaceburg mounted in that time, they were not able to find the equalizer, losing by a final score of 3-2.

In 18 games, the Sting finished with a record of 0-7-11 (wins-ties-loss) for a total of 7 points, finding themselves at the bottom of the Premier division.

The Sting will play next season play in the First division on what should be a much softer, smoother, and quality field when the newly-ripped up & re-seeded Kinsmen Park is ready to go! A special thanks to local Crabby Joe’s owner Charlie Kridiotis for sponsoring the team, and to Kurtis Lubbers for assuming the coaching duties and taking on a player-coach role for the season’s duration. A man behind the scenes who’s acknowledgement is much deserved is Alfredo Attardi, for his often unrecognized but tireless work managing not only the bench, but the uniforms, water bottles, gamesheets, practice equipment, and team and WOSL communications.