By JON WEBB
Glasgow Daily Times
GLASGOW —
Lee McFarland can describe the 2010 soccer season in one word. Well, technically two: “a monster.”
His Trojanettes logged 654 round-trip miles on a season-opening, six-game road trip from which the team escaped with a 2-3-1 record. On Thursday, they returned home — and to .500.
Goals from Anna Allen and Sydney Wininger lifted Barren to a 2-1 victory over Todd County Central at the Glasgow-Barren County Soccer Complex. Leah Caudel added an assist in the Trojanettes’ third game in as many nights — a run which resulted in wins over Todd, Grayson County and a tie against Franklin-Simpson.
“I know they’re tired,” McFarland said of his players. “I would have loved to have three wins, but to be 2-0-1, I can’t really complain.”
He couldn’t really complain about goalkeeper Courtney Pierce on Thursday. With the Trojanettes leading 2-1, the sophomore — fresh from a knee injury — saw the Lady Rebels fire six shots her way in the final 10 minutes. Three flew wide and Pierce saved the others to preserve Barren’s slim win.
“Anything from the shoulders down, (Pierce) has a good shot at stopping,” McFarland said about the diminutive keeper.
Todd nearly put a goal past Pierce in the matchup’s opening moments. Ariel Johnson one-timed a cross kick into the back of the net, but saw an offsides call negate the would-be score. Barren responded to the break by barraging the Lady Rebels’ keeper with shots. Wininger clanged a kick off the post and followed up seconds later with a shot on goal. A subsequent Devon Stuart effort rolled just wide of the near post.
More shots on goal from Wininger, Stuart, Ashley Grabowski and Ayla Townsend arrived later before Allen finally connected. On a corner kick, Caudel sent the ball sky-ing toward the net and eventually the foot of Allen, who placed the ball into the back of the goal to hand Barren a 1-0 lead.
That lead doubled near the 53rd minute, when Megan Heisler dropped a lead pass deep in Todd territory. Wininger caught up to the offering and beat the Lady Rebels’ keeper, giving the Trojanettes a two-goal advantage.
Todd’s Haley Cornellmorton sliced it in half six minutes later, when she slid the ball past Pierce.
Wininger nearly provided some Trojanette breathing room with 12 minutes to go. The junior again found the post, though. Another shot on goal sandwiched the Lady Rebels’ late efforts, but despite all the attempts to the contrary, the score remained set at 2-1 to secure a Barren victory.
McFarland said Todd’s late offense was partly a result of a shuffled defensive line up. During Pierce’s injury, Lindsey McFarland served as keeper, but the junior returned to her spot as a defender on Thursday, forcing the Trojanettes to adhere to a somewhat unfamiliar scheme.
Barren will have plenty of practice time to shake that unfamiliarity. The team will enjoy a week between Thursday’s game and its Sept. 9 showdown with Warren East, which will again place the Trojanettes on the road. According to coach McFarland, a “best effort” from his players should result in Barren’s fourth win of the season — a considerable feat considering the year’s tumultuous beginning.
“It’s been a monster ... we only have six home games,” he said. “But we’ve got to win the games we’re supposed to.
“Or at least the ones I think we’re supposed to.”
