UPPER DUBLIN >> Upper Dublin’s defense has been strong all season. Since the calendar flipped to October, it’s been even better. The Cardinals entered Thursday’s Suburban One League Liberty Division match with Abington with a 4-0 record this month and no goals allowed.
That trend continued and kept their league title hopes alive.
Dominick Plaku scored in the 71st minute and goalkeeper Gabriel Copley made four saves in the Cardinals 1-0 win over the Ghosts at Upper Dublin High School.
“The whole time I’ve been on varsity, for my four years, haven’t beaten them once,” Copley said of the significance of this win. “It feels great. We worked for it.”
“It’s been a long road,” Plaku added. “Every time we faced Abington it’s just been loss, draw after draw after loss. To get a win today feels awesome.”
Plaku’s game-winner came with just nine minutes left in the game. Copley started the scoring opportunity when he flipped field position with a punt. He caught an Abington free kick from 30 yards out and quickly punted the ball to the offensive end. The Cardinals had two players near the ball to the Ghosts’ one.
“It was the communication from the team,” Copley said. “I didn’t really see it until everyone started screaming. Right then I looked up and punted it. That’s how the game works – it’s all communication.”
Abington manged to send the ball out of bounds, but Upper Dublin capitalized on its chance with a throw-in. The ball went to Maxwell Obando, who redirected it into the box. Plaku got his head on it and beat Abington’s goalkeeper to the right side.
“Off that ball I just felt that run,” Plaku said. “I saw that timing. I had it down. The pass from (Obando) – it was beautiful. I had the right angle and everything. It all came together, the things we practice all the time. That’s what we always look for – finishing.”
The Ghosts controlled the ball for most of the game, but couldn’t find the back of the net. They dominated the first 30 minutes of the game and had a handful of great looks in the second half, but Copley turned them all away. Abington put four shots on goal and earned nine corners to Upper Dublin’s two shots on goal and three corners.
“I think we had the better chances of scoring goals if you were here to watch the game,” Abington coach Randy Garber said, “but they happened to get an opportunity where we left a player in the box unmarked, he got a good look, got good service and put a great header on the floor, by the post, and it happened to go in at the nine-minute mark. What a great time to score a goal.
“We had some chances. Their goalkeeper definitely had a good game. We just had chances that we didn’t finish.”
Abington drops to to 13-1 in the SOL Liberty standings while Upper Dublin improves to 12-2. Abington finishes its regular season next week against Quakertown and Wissahickon while Upper Dublin faces Plymouth Whitemarsh and Hatboro-Horsham.
“It’s probably just a matter of playing in the districts on Tuesday rather than having a bye and playing on Thursday,” Garber, whose team entered Thursday No. 5 in the District 1-4A rankings, said. “We still have to win the next two games to win the league.
“Nothing’s lost but the bye we might have gotten with the points from a (win over Upper Dublin).”
Upper Dublin 1, Abington 0
Abington 0 0 – 0
Upper Dublin 0 1 – 1
Goals: UD: Dominick Plaku.
Assists: UD: Maxwell Obando.
Saves: AB: Justin Waterfall 1. UD: Gabriel Copley 4.
Corners: AB: 9. UD: 3.
