Morning Star Staff
They had all winter to digest losing the Gibson Cup final to the North Enderby Timber last August.
Those memories were somewhat put to rest Wednesday night as Turn-Key Controls brushed back the 11-time Cup champion Timber 3-2 under inclement weather at MacDonald Park.
It was NET’s first loss in three North Okanagan Soccer League starts. Turn-Key moved into first place at 3-0.
The rain proved to be a factor 20 seconds in when two Timber defenders slipped simultaneously, allowing Turn-Key forward Lendrit Ademi to walk in on a breakaway and beat outstretched Timber keeper Ean Ross with a left-footed bullet to the bottom left corner.
Turn-Key carried the play in the opening 15 minutes, using some good possession on the soggy field, but were unable to score again in the opening 45 as Ross made a few aggressive saves to keep things tight.
Things settled down for the rest of the first half with both teams generating little offence. As the rain poured down, the goals flowed in the second half.
Timber defender Jared Townsend – back in Vernon after several years away – slipped on a challenge on Andrew Pool in the 18-yard box causing a foul which led to a Turn-Key penalty kick converted by Ademi. Some great work by Kanwar Pandher led to a cross to Pool.
Pandher was involved again shortly after, taking a pass inside the six. An aggressive Ross made the Total Restoration Save of the Game.
Conan (The Barbarian) Ackert, who used the game as preparation for his scheduled wrestling match with Mayor Akbul Mund at Saturday’s Invasion Wrestling Charity event at the Vernon Rec Centre, found Ademi at the top of the box shortly after. Ross again made the stop.
Ademi posted the hat trick after a Timber give-a-way. He took a pass on the left flank and fired a corker bottom corner past a diving Ross.
The Timber woke up after that goal and spent the majority of the final half in the Turn-Key zone, twice finding super striker Brent Poulsen.
Townsend played a gorgeous through ball to Poulsen, who timed his run perfectly to stay onside for the first snipe.
Poulsen then fooled a defender and beat charging Turn-Key keeper Greg Douma. Poulsen added a second in the 75th minute after a great solo run from Finlay McPhie.
McPhie, a 6-foot-1 centre back who just finished his sophomore season with the CIS Thompson Rivers WolfPack, danced around defenders at the top of the 18 and then sent in Poulsen, who buried the one-touch shot.
Meanwhile, Peters Tirecraft grounded Monashee Surveying 4-2 under the lights at the Greater Vernon Athletics Park.
Goals for Tirecraft came from rookie Zach Anderson and Clark Richardson in the first half and Axel Chinyanta, on a penalty shot, and Justin Mitchell, on a pretty give-and-go with Kyle Richardson, in the second half.
The Morning Star Man of the Match for Tirecraft (1-2) was Shane Whitley for his stellar play on the back line. Monashee dipped to 0-3.