Houston County soccer team knocks off Clarke Central

In a match that felt much like a test of perseverance, Houston County pressed on and found its way back from a two-goal second-half deficit to beat Clarke Central 3-2 on Friday night and advance to the GHSA Class AAAAA semifinals.

The Bears controlled the game from the opening kick. Michael Fussell hit the post a little more than a minute into the match, and Cristian Medina was denied at point blank range by Clarke Central keeper Joseph Cervantes in the 11th minute.

Houston County had outshot the Gladiators 8-0 when Clarke Central cashed in its only opportunity of the match to that point with 26:45 to play in the opening half. Scholl Wright found space at the top of the box and turned onto his left foot for a shot that beat a frozen Declan Furlough.

After another effort from Medina clanged off of the post, Wright again pounced on an opportunity. He beat the offside trap of the Bears’ back line and headed a ball past Furlough for a 2-0 lead just minutes shy of the break, once again against the run of play.

Medina finally got the Bears on the board less than eight minutes after the half. Fussell played an excellent through ball with his head into the path of Medina, who slotted it past Cervantes.

Houston County kept pressing for the equalizer, only to be denied time and again by Cervantes until Fussell drew a penalty kick near the top of the box with 10:13 to go. Medina stepped up to take it and finished confidently low and to the right of Cervantes to even the match.

The game-winner came minutes later as George Slaughter followed his own rebound off an excellent corner delivery from Hunter Henry and gave the Bears their only lead of the match.

THREE WHO MATTERED

Medina: The best player on the field drew audible gasps from the crowd and his fellow players alike with his skill on the ball. His pace and technical ability is tough for any opponent at this level to match.

Cervantes: If it wasn’t for the Gladiators’ keeper, the visitors from Athens easily could have lost this match in the game’s first 15 minutes. He kept them in it, making save after save to frustrate the Bears.

Slaughter: The normally defensive-minded player had made several overlapping runs down the right flank to put balls into dangerous areas, and he was finally rewarded with the game-winner when Houston County committed numbers forward on the decisive corner kick.

WORTH MENTIONING

Saying goodbye: This was final match ever in the history of a field affectionately called “The Pasture” by Houston County fans. The Bears will move across the street to a new stadium next spring.

Milestone: This was also the 100th match in Houston County head coach Jason Kirk’s career.

THEY SAID IT

Kirk on the game-winning goal: “We got great hustle to earn the corner kick. Then the keeper stuffs the first one, and I’m thinking, ‘Not again.’ You just want somebody to run to the back of the net, and George did. I think he scored with the inside of his thigh or something, but he worked his tail off.”

Kirk on the frustration of the opening half: “That’s soccer sometimes. Soccer is a cruel, cruel game because there are so few chances.

Kirk on his halftime message: “I was very calm, and I just let them know that if we didn’t let (Clarke Central) score again that we would win.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

Houston County will play on the road against the winner of McIntosh and Riverwood.

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 9:55 PM with the headline "Houston County soccer team knocks off Clarke Central."