Pirates finish out of the medals in playoffs

Yesterday's three games encapsulated the Pirates' entire season: a brutally hard-fought draw, a loss, and a bad loss. The first game was played in the chilly, windy conditions at 8:30 in the morning. Only 10 players showed up by the start of the game, so Whitby Silver had an extra player on the field, and three substitutes waiting on the bench. At the end of the first half, the Pirates were leading by 1, a very pretty goal scored by Nick M., direct from the corner.

During the second half, the Silver players were getting increasingly angry that the Pirates were able to hold them off, until they finally got the tying goal about five minutes from the end of the game.

The second game was played on the same field at 10:30. Again, the Pirates could only muster 10 players, and played at a disadvantage on the field. Whitby Teal jumped out to a three-goal lead by halftime, and added two more by the end of the game. The Pirates came close to scoring on several different attempts — Victor R. put on an amazing performance near the end of the game, but was thwarted by some incredible goalkeeping by the Teal goalie: three hard, accurate shots over less than two minutes, barely pushed past the post or the crossbar by athletic leaping.

The third game of the day was played in warmer, but windier conditions at Peel Park. Whitby Blue again had a significant advantage in numbers, fielding a full team plus four substitutes, while the Pirates still only had ten on the field. By this point, the Pirates were pretty much just running on fumes . . . there wasn't much left to give. The run of play was almost entirely in Pirates territory, with only a few opportunities to go upfield. The score was 5-0 at the half, with the Pirates looking shell-shocked on the bench. The Pirates put on a better display in the second half, with Anthony C. scoring from inside the 6-yard box, and Ian S. and Nick M. both coming close to scoring as well. The final score was 8-1, mathematically eliminating the Pirates from the tournament.

Sunday's scheduled 8:30 game didn't happen: the Pirates could only show five players on the field after the 15-minute grace period expired, so Whitby Green got a 1-0 win by default.