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Match Recap: Durham United FA 1 - 2 Toronto FC III

By League1 Ontario staff, 06/25/17, 1:45PM EDT

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TFC III and Canada U17 player Zakaria Abdi (90') wasn't in the game long, but his late match goal proved to be the difference between the Junior Reds and Durham United FA on Matchweek Nine. 

"I'm very proud of the boys tonight, every one of them," said TFC III head coach, Danny Dichio 

"The subs that came on provided that spark that we were looking for. Abdi, who came on, is only sixteen and it is him who got the goal."


Danny Dichio (Photo: Martin Bazyl)

Abdi's late winner came after an entertaining first half that saw both sides take periods of control. Tyrell Rayne (26') got the opener for the Pickering-based Durham United. 

"We knew how they played and the game plan was to come with a lot of energy, take the game to them and dictate the play.," said Durham head coach, Sanford Carabin.

"I think we started to do that right at the start of the first half and I thought it was a good first half."

"There were two talented teams battling, there was some good ebb and flow, and for the most part I thought we did well. We got a good goal, and we wanted to use the wide areas to exploit them, which I thought we did really well in the first half."

"In the second half, I don't know what it was," he continued. "The first few minutes it looked as though we were right back at it but then five minutes after that we just dropped and seemed to say to ourselves 'let's drop, concede space, and let them dictate the play.' That's not our game and from there we began to chase the game and they had a little bit more possession."

"I thought some of our guys just took their foot off the pedal." 


(Photo: Martin Bazyl)

Nikola Stakic (58') levelled terms for the visitors just after the break, setting up a tense final half-hour that eventually led to the Abdi winner. TFC III's Dichio felt it was no less than his team deserved. 

"It was a really good, entertaining game between two good sides that like to try and play football," he said. 

"I thought it was a really interesting battle and I thought our young boys showed great team spirit, great character, and they kept pushing."

"There were a lot of harsh challenges in the game, and that's football. We're not playing chess here. It's a physical game and we knew that Durham are very good at home, they are a physical team and an experienced team."

"It was a really solid team performance today and I'm pleased for them." 

Durham United FA will next play Oakville Blue Devils on July 2 at Sheridan College, Oakville.

Toronto FC III will next play OSU Force on July 1 at Terry Fox South, Ottawa.