Fahey’s Hail Mary header lifts Garnet Valley

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CONCORD — The two-goal lead squandered could have haunted Garnet Valley. The two thuds off the woodwork on the same corner kick in the second half could’ve, too, or the two shutout losses to start the 2019 campaign.

But by the time the clock at Moe DeFrank Stadium ticked under two minutes left in double-overtime Thursday evening and Brendan Fahey surged upfield, those thoughts were in the past.

Garnet Valley’s Kyle Fager, right, marches in on goal as Haverford’s Marc Bronstein chases in the first half of the Central League game Thursday. Fager had a goal as the Jaguars won 4-3 in double overtime. (Pete Bannan/Digital First Media)

Fahey got to Keith Cressman’s long throw for a clean header thumped past Haverford goalie Matt Davis, giving the Jaguars a 4-3 Central League win over Haverford.

“We were on a good roll, I think the team was in a good place and we had the momentum going our way,” senior midfielder Fahey said. “We were working hard, and Keith had a great throw to the middle. We’ve had a lot of opportunities like that, but it was there, he made the throw, we all went in and I was lucky enough to execute it and get the game-winner.”

The goal was Garnet Valley’s second long-throw goal of the day and third from a set piece. Fahey’s run to the edge of the six-yard box went unchecked, allowing him to plant the header as Cressman’s throw-in fluttered right to him.

“We’ve been working on them in practice,” Cressman said. “The only thing we changed was being more aggressive in attacking it. I trust my guys are going to get on the end of it. They know where to go, so it’s all on them.”

The first goal came courtesy of a long throw by Cressman that caught the Fords flat-footed in the 5th minute. A slight nudge by John Cleary allowed the goal to count, nestling into the far-side netting past a diving Michael DePalma. Add in a goal by forward Kyle Fager in the 22nd minute off a corner that bounced in the box with Haverford unable to clear, and that’s three set-piece concessions.

It could’ve been worse if not for a bizarre sequence in the 62nd minute when a corner bounced several times in the area, with Coleman Robertson volleying off the bar, then defender Ryan Carr heading off the woodwork.

That reprieve gave Haverford, willed on by Aidan Tripler, the chance to get level. Tripler had scored on a penalty that he drew via a collision with goalie Chase Woolard in the first half, then got the Fords (0-2-1, 0-1-0 Central) within one in the 65th by tapping home a Jack Roth cross after Roth beat his defender to the byline to fire off a cross low and hard through the six.

“The energy was nice. It was hype,” Tripler said. “I knew we were going to come back. They should not have been up 3-1 against us. I knew 15 minutes was enough time to get two goals on them.”

Tripler again induced the referee to point to the spot with eight minutes left, cleaned out by Woolard as the senior forward got to a cross in the box and got a pair of gloves to the side of the head for his trouble. He made no mistake at the spot, roofing one to complete the hat trick and knot the game at 3.

Tripler tipped the balance with more than just his scoring. Garnet Valley (1-2, 1-0) controlled midfield early via the passing links of Cressman, Ethan Hensinger and Mark Hurford, who scored the third goal. Hurford adeptly skirted the offside line, controled a heavy ball from Cressman into his feet and planted it past DePalma.

But with Hurford and Hensinger hobbled late and Tripler sliding deeper with Haverford’s usual midfield fulcrum Evan Carfery injured, the game shifted. Nick D’Achille, who had a penalty shout waved away after Tripler’s second goal, injected pace up top and allowed Tripler to do his thing from a deeper-lying position. That included lofting an audacious 40-yard chip that nearly snuck under the bar but for Woolard’s last-second swat away.

Haverford’s Aidan Tripler scores on a penalty kick in the first half against Garnet Valley. Tripler tallied a hat trick, but the Fords fell in double-overtime, 4-3. (Pete Bannan/Digital First Media)

“I wanted to get back in (midfield) and play Nick because I like playing through Nick and getting the ball back and finding someone out wide and then getting into the box,” Tripler said.

After a sedate first-overtime period, Haverford had the first solid chance of extra time when Woolard handled an intentional back pass in his box, leading to an indirect free kick 16 yards out. Tripler’s effort, though, only smacked the onrushing wall. D’Achille fizzled a cross through the area four minutes later, but no one could latch on to it.

Haverford’s commanding center back Duncan Riegler exited with a yellow card with five minutes to play, hampering the Fords’ already suspect aerial ability. It’s no coincidence that Fahey scored from an area that Riegler would’ve patrolled.

Fahey’s final blow changes the entire arc of the first week of the Jaguars’ season. Had they left the field Thursday still winless, with a blown two-goal lead in tow, the feeling would’ve been much different. Instead, conquering adversity breeds confidence.

“It’s just us as a team coming together and knowing how good we are,” Fahey said. “We had that game 3-1 and I think it just took us a little time after the rough patch to get things going, knowing that we were the better team.”

Also in the Central League:

Strath Haven 3, Marple Newtown 2 >> Andrew Lowman’s overtime goal augmented an assist and won the game for the Panthers, who trailed at halftime.

John Francis completed his brace in the second half to get Strath Haven on level terms. Emmett Young dished a pair of assists.

Penncrest 3, Springfield 0 >> Justin Potts recorded another shutout by making six saves, and goals by Dan MacLoughlin, Ethan Emory and Connor Kraycik made it stand up for the Lions. MacLoughlin added an assist.

Radnor 8, Ridley 0 >> The Raiders scored four times on either side of half to win their opener. Peter Vitale, Cole Albany, Harrison Fritz, Matt Miller, Michael Sears, Jake Lee, Morgan Page and Spencer Houck all found the back of the net, and Cole Schwartz and Juaquin Cohen combined on the shutout.

Matthew De George

Matthew De George
Matthew De George is the Asst. Sports Editor and the lead Union writer for The Daily Times.

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