Morning Star Staff
It was a tale of two seasons for Turn-Key Controls, who took the Vernon Men’s Indoor Soccer League playoff title Thursday night with a 5-1 victory over Kal Tire FC at VantageOne Soccer Centre.
Turn-Key defeated Monashee FC 4-1 in semifinal play Wednesday night.
The Controllers, who used the backdoor to reach the playoffs, were winless going into the Christmas break and used the return of some regular members to be the league’s hottest team in the second half.
Turn-Key opened the scoring early in the final and controlled the play in the first half, with Thomas Pool tapping home the first goal early on.
Just before the half, Sam Nolan converted on another world-class free kick, bending it around the Kal Tire wall and off the post and in.
Kal Tire opened the second half with some sustained pressure and Taylor Horsting put the dagger in the comeback hopes with another free kick goal, knocking the ball into the top right corner from 30 yards.
Andrew Pool registered the last two goals for Turn-Key, slotting home a breakaway from Nathan Tucker and then finishing a nice solo effort. Kal-Tire ruined the clean sheet for a solid Gregg Douma.
In the semifinal, Monashee went ahead on a nice passing play with a finishing header.
Sunny Gakhal levelled the score before the half when he knocked in a tap in on the line off a pass from Thomas Pool.
The two squads played an evenly matched half and Nicholas McDonald opened the scoring early in the final 40, converting on another scramble.
Horsting put Monashee away with a world-class 25-yard free kick that bent around the Monashee wall and goaltender. With Monashee pressing for an equalizer, Conan Ackert back-heeled home a shot in the crease.
Regular-season champion Topsport were ineligible for playoffs.