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Match Recap: Durham United FA 4 - 1 Aurora FC

By League1 Ontario staff, 05/13/17, 7:30PM EDT

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It was a gangbusters first half at Durham United FA men's opener on Matchweek Three as first Durham scored two within two minutes from Christian Moncrieffe (13') and Kashiff De Jonge (15', 56') before Aurora came back within one after a Matthew Caguana (31') goal. 

"The goals happened so quick I don't even remember who scored them, thanks for reminding me," said Durham head coach Sanford Carabin. 

"Sometimes you always look at the goalscorers and think they are the MVPs. It is nice we got off the mark, we were the only team that hadn't scored yet  in the league, and to be honest with you I was absolutely disappointed that we conceded a goal."

"We've worked on our defending shape for a long time and to let a slack goal like that go in bothered me more than the lack of goals previously. I always knew we were going to score goals, it just so happens that this game four of them came in for us. Hopefully that gets us balanced and we move forward."


Kashiff De Jonge, Durham United FA (Photo: Martin Bazyl)

Although Durham had not scored in their first two matches of the season, they would not be denied here as Tim Flynn (34') quickly restored the lead, and De Jonge put the result out of Aurora's grasp with this second before the hour. 

"We started very poorly," said Aurora head coach, Derek O'Keeffe. "We gave up the first two goals as gifts. We lacked concentration and basic errors cost us. At that point we are chasing the game after fifteen minutes so at that point you are playing catch-up. Credit to Durham, they capitalized on our mistakes, but it just wasn't our day." 

"I would say to the boys after this result that they are better than what they played in the first half. They weren't engaging the ball. They were watching the ball instead of watching the man, and not putting the pressure on."

"That will cost you in League1. You could get away with it at the underage levels, but you have to be tuned in from the start here and the start we had today killed us. We were playing catch-up from then."


Christian Moncrieffe, Durham United FA (Photo: Martin Bazyl)

After two difficult first matches of the season - playing 2016 champions Vaughan Azzurri, and east division powerhouse Woodbridge Strikers, in away fixtures - Durham looked to be on the front foot in their home opener, dominating the ball for long stretches.

"We always try and keep possession when we play," said Carabin. "It's one of the principles that we have, we want to have the ball and dictate play, but it doesn't always come off." 

"I think this was more a function of this being our home opener and we tweaked the lineup a little bit to go with a bit of a different set-up than we've had the first two games, just to see if that would spur us in the attacking end." 

"It wasn't a slight against the guys that played the last two games, I just think having two away games and then two homes games was difficult for us. This being our home opener, we wanted to express ourselves so we asked the guys to go out there right from the get go and attack. That might have had more to do with it than a change of formation."

"We always try to attack, but I think the home opener really helped us." 

Durham United FA next play OSU Force on Friday May 19 at Pickering Soccer Centre, Pickering.

Aurora FC next play Masters FA Saints on Sunday May 21 at St. Maximillian Kolbe H.S.