Matthews, Abderrahim Score to Lift Pittsfield Over Mount Greylock
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- Eleven days after the Mount Greylock and Pittsfield boys soccer teams walked off the field with a 1-1 stalemate that was a mixed blessing for both sides, Carter Matthews made sure that just one team would go home happy on Tuesday night.
Matthews scored in the 52nd minute to snap a 1-1 tie and send the Generals on to a 2-1 win in the Berkshire County North Division clash.
“I got the ball from Gabe Rich, it was a great ball over the top,” Matthews said. “I had a couple of chances early in the game, but this was my first legitimate chance in the second half, so I just focused, picked a side of the net and put it in.”
Hedi Abderrahim had given the Generals a 1-0 lead early, but the Mounties responded when Finn Welch set up Leo Rossitter for the equalizer midway through the first half.
And that is where it stood until Rich stole a pass just over the midfield stripe, carried up the right-wing touchline and found Matthews over the middle to set up the game-winner.
Matthews fought through a couple of defenders to create some space inside the penalty area and score his eighth goal of the season.
“I was just determined to get the goal for our team and put us ahead early in the second half,” Matthews said.
And PHS coach Andrew Antil was happy to see the tactics he has preached in training pay dividends on the field.
“That’s one thing we’ve been trying to work on: How much do we do by ourselves and how much we do as a team,” Antil said. “There’s a time to dribble, and there’s a time to pass. And I think we just executed that perfectly.
“We want to put Carter in positions like that when we can, and we did a good job of that tonight. In the first half, we were putting too many really difficult balls in for him -- 30-, 40-yard passes over the top that just weren’t going to happen. … I think Gabe balanced it out perfectly in knowing when to pass and when to dribble. He took a couple of touches, took his space, gave him a great pass that was playable
“And Carter did his magic.”
Avi Snowise made two second half saves to make the lead stand up, but for the most part, Pittsfield turned up the pressure and kept the Mounties in their end of the field most of the remaining 28 minutes.
Pittsfield also dominated the opening stages of the match, earning three early corner kicks and getting the game’s first goal in the 11th minute.
Matthews started the play with a free kick from the right wing into the 18. The ball appeared to deflect off a Mount Greylock defender and toward keeper David Falk (12 saves). Falk made the initial save, but under pressure from Pittsfield’s Cole Bromback, the rebound came to Abderrahim, who finished into an empty net.
“David played really well, and he’s still getting used to this new field,” Mount Greylock coach Blair Dils said of the recently sodded John T. Allen Field. “I think that kind of contributed to the bobble on the first goal. The ball just doesn’t bounce the way you expect it too. It dies in there, so there are adjustments you have to make.
“But it could have easily been a 4-1, 5-1 game if not for David.”
It was a 1-1 game in the 23rd minute after Welch intercepted a clearing pass high on the right wing, dribbled into the center of the box and slid a pass over to Rossitter on the right side to set up the equalizer.
Welch had a good try to put Mount Greylock on top with a free kick that Snowise saved with about 10 minutes left in the half. Five minutes later, Falk denied Matthews on a strong bid to give the Generals the lead at half-time.
After Matthews finally broke through in the 43rd minute, Pittsfield stepped up its game and limited the to just a couple of chances.
“I think they just gained confidence and started moving the ball,” Dils said. “We were missing one of our key guys in the center, and I think that tilted the field for them. But they’re a good team. We’ve seen them play a bunch, and they can compete easily with the West Springfields and Amhersts and Longmeadows, for sure.”
Pittsfield (8-1-2) first has to contend with its Berkshire County rivals, facing Lenox and Taconic at Kirvin Park on Friday and Saturday before a couple of non-league games against Ludlow and Longmeadow.
Mount Greylock (5-6-1) is home on Thursday against Granby.