The Men’s side picked up a 1-0 victory at home over Pickering FC, while the Women came home with a 2-0 road victory over Pro Stars FC.
The Men’s side were able to bounce back after a tough result last weekend. ECFC took a 1-0 lead when Reza Nafar converted on a free kick from just outside the goal area in the 29th minute. The free kick was awarded after an ill-timed Pickering FC tackle on ECFC midfielder Daniel Oshana, resulting in a yellow card. Reza Nafar made no mistake, firing the ball into the top corner of the net.
ECFC goalkeeper Eleias Himaras was strong in net, making multiple saves to keep ECFC’s lead intact. Himaras has now started three games in the ECFC net, as he fills in for Quillan Roberts while he represents Guyana in the CONCACAF Nations League. Early on into his tenure with ECFC Himaras has stymied the competition, only allowing two goals thus far.
“What stood out to me today was the work ethic the boys put in to deserve the result they got today. They had to work hard for their three points and that’s what they did. They brought a lot of energy, controlled the tempo of the game and created opportunities to score.”
ECFC extended their home record on the season to 3-0-0, while also advancing in the League1 table with Saturdays victory. The positive result over Pickering FC was even more crucial given the fact that the two teams were only separated by two points in the standings.
“Earning maximum points is always important, but to do it against a team that you can jump ahead of in the it table is a bonus, but it is not the standings that I am worried about, it’s the process. Having our principles brought out and translated from the training ground into matches, that is the piece I am most focused on,” said Coach Ribeiro following the match.
Midfielder Tomas Alvarez was named the Mark’s Work Warehouse Hardest Working Player of the match. Alvarez helped create many offensive opportunities thanks to his ball pressure and competitive spirit throughout the match.
The Electric City FC Women (6-3-0) capped off the clubs 6-point weekend with a 2-0 victory over Pro Stars FC (0-8-0) on Saturday night. ECFC was able to convert their opportunities in a highly competitive, defensive styled affair at Victoria Park.
The game was scoreless through the first half and into the 71st minute until ECFC winger Brynn Jurus scored her 3rd goal of the season. ECFC continued to push the pace, trying to expand their 1-0 lead in the later stages of the match and were finally able to put the game away in extra time when Kayla McQueen scored. McQueen received the ball following a great cutback move from Captain Holly O’Neill and was able to finish off the play for her 8th goal of the season putting her in a tie at the top of the league scoring race. Goalkeeper Mykaela Volpe registered her 2nd consecutive clean sheet, giving her 4 clean sheets on the season.
Coach Ribeiro was proud of the way his team was able to convert on their chances against a defensive minded Pro Stars FC side.
“The game was a difficult one today. A team with a more defensive mindset, sitting in at the top of their area, very compact and looking to play on transition. We were persistent and continued to find ways to break them down.”
After picking up two victories in the span of 72 hours, ECFC has gained significant ground in the League1 Women’s table, finding themselves tied for 4th in the table with 18 points. With another goal on Saturday, Kayla McQueen has now scored in 5 of her last 6 matches, while also climbing to the top of the League1 scoring race.
