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Match Recap: Durham United FA 1 - 0 Sanjaxx Lions

By League1 Ontario staff, 07/09/17, 9:45PM EDT

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LeRohne Young (89' pk) tucked away a penalty in the last minute of the match to give Durham United FA all three points over visitors Sanjaxx Lions and a boost into second place in the men's east division standings. 

"I said to the opposing coach after the match that if I was going into his dressing room at this point I would be totally positive, because to play eleven guys in an indoor dome at this time of the year and to play and work as hard as they did for ninety minutes is incredible," said Durham head coach, Sanford Carabin. 

"I was more impressed with the work ethic that they showed as they took their knocks and never stopped. Maybe in the last ten minutes it might have worn out their defence a little bit, but they were very difficult to break down."

Both teams managed to neutralize the other for much of the match, with Durham having the majority of possession and attacking chances but Sanjaxx also looking threatening on the break. 

"We had seven corners in the first half and we didn't test the keeper on any of them," said Carabin.

"All of our guys know their runs, they know what they need to do, and we have a half-dozen runs that we do. At the end of the day you have to beat your opponent to the ball and they just didn't do it. They defended the corners and set-pieces well. Even in the final third though, we just didn't have much flow of play. We didn't seem to have many ideas today." 

"We were good coming out of the back, and we were okay in the middle, but when we got into the final third we had no idea how to break them down," he added. 

"That was partially because guys weren't moving well off the ball and we were taking too much time with the ball. We spoke to them at half about that in particular. We asked them to be a little bit more mobile in the final third and create angles and space to receive the ball and although we didn't start the second half that way I thought we got better as the second half went on. That is also part of the game as players get tired and spaces open up as they tire." 

Durham United FA will next play FC London on July 15 at Kinsmen Park, Pickering.

Sanjaxx Lions will next play North Toronto Nitros on July 16 at Monarch Park, Toronto.