Victory is United’s in season swan song-PDG

BY JOEY PAYEUR
Wednesday September 14, 2005

SOUTHPORT — Every team wants to win its last game, but there is no possible way to measure the amount of desire Southport United had to accomplish that feat.Down to its last chance to earn an official victory this season, United (1-13-4) cracked a gigantic goose egg, doubling Ragnarok (11-6) by a 4-2 count in its Manitoba Major Soccer League Fourth Division season finale last Friday at Southport Recreation Centre.Two nights earlier in Winnipeg, Ragnarok walloped Southport 6-2 in the first half of the home-and-home series.But staring a winter of winless thoughts in the face, United rebounded for a most delicious helping of home cooking.“It’s a very pleasant feeling to pull off,” said United player/coach Peter Dueck. “If we had played like this earlier in the year, we would have a better record now.”Southport (1-13-4) had its only previous notch in the win column taken away when its victim, Boni Vital Inferno, dropped out of the league and voided any points gained against it by other teams during the season.But after a season which saw the team shut out seven times in 18 official games, United finally unholstered the offence for its biggest goal output of the year.“You should have seen how excited everyone was each time we scored,” said Dueck. “We just had a feeling coming in it was our game.”That feeling grew when Ragnarok started its backup keeper for undetermined reasons, and not even an early goal by the visitors could dampen Southport’s spirits.“Usually, after something like that, we hang our heads,” said Dueck. “But this game, there was no way.”United tied the contest on Paul Kulas’ second of the year, fell behind again and tied it again at 2-2 when Chris Assenmacher found the target for his fifth of the season.With a group of five substitutes at its disposal, compared to just one for Ragnarok, Southport started to wear down its opponent and broke the game open with two second-half goals.Kulas gave United one of its rare leads this campaign with his second goal of the game and third of the year to make it 3-2. With Ragnarok pressing for the equalizer, Michael Philippot netted his fourth of the campaign for the insurance goal to relieve what has been a much-frustrated Southport bench this year.“It was definitely a factor that we could put some fresh legs on the field in the second half,” said Dueck. “Ragnarok’s a very hard-working team. Even down 10-0, they don’t give up. But (goalkeeper) Steve Assenmacher had an awesome game.”Certainly, the numbers game wasn’t pretty for Southport this season. United’s seven points put it in 10th place, but the squad most likely avoided relegation to Fifth Division only because of the demise of Boni Vital and Sudan-Nile, which was tossed from the league for having three of its players attack a referee on July 15.For the year, Southport officially scored a league-low 17 goals in 18 games while surrendering a league-worst 53 goals.But none of that mattered last Friday, and doesn’t appear to be having any effect on next year’s plans for United.“The guys still had lots of fun and most of them have already said they’re coming back next year,” said Dueck.“Hopefully, we can keep our core guys together.”St. James Seawolves, which clinched Fourth Division against United with a 2-0 road win on Aug. 31, finished the year with a practically perfect 15-0-3 record for 48 points.They will move up to Third Division, and most likely will be joined by second-place Rangers (12-3-3, 39 points).Sparta FC (19-1-1, 58 points) captured Fifth Division to earn a promotion to Fourth Division next year, while a possible second team is still being decided upon, with Dawson Trail Bandits (44), Tri-S (43) and Croatia United (43) still fighting it out for the runner-up position.