Three for Three as Pioneers Beat Panda

Giant Panda 1 Richmond Pioneers 4

The Pioneers struggled to get into any kind of groove on the bumpy confines of King George Park, but eventually overcame the stubborn resistance of Giant Panda and came away with a 4-1 victory, maintaining their 100 per cent record for the season.

Giant Panda adopted a defensive formation from the outset, and the strategy proved successful in the early stages, as they denied the Pioneers any real clear cut chances.

Panda, in fact, took the lead on one of their rare forays forward, when a defensive mix up gifted them the opening goal.

Despite their sloppy play in the opening half, the Pioneers still enjoyed a huge territorial advantage over their hosts, and inevitably equalized when Ken Johnston headed home a Graham Mason corner kick.

After the restart, the Pioneers took a deserved lead, when Mason latched on to long, curling Denis Harvington pass, beating the Panda keeper with a hard low shot.

Eventually, the Pioneers got their third goal when an indirect free kick was awarded inside the Panda penalty area. From the free kick, Johnston coolly dispatched a low shot through a sea of legs.

Giant Panda came close to pulling a goal back, but a splendid diving save from Gary Byrne denied them any chance of a lifeline.

The Pioneers scored a fourth goal after Johnston set up Mason, whose left foot shot went in off the post. Late in the game Panda came close to a second goal, but Byrne was well positioned to make a good point blank save to preserve the three goal margin of victory.

Mogul's Man of the Match: Graham Mason

Next week, we’re off to Penticton for the 25th Annual Penticton International Tournament.

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- Based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, the Pioneers play in the Premier Division in the Over 50 League of the BCOTS (BC Old Timers Soccer). The league has over 40 teams from all over the Lower Mainland region

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