FC Monmouth defeats First State FC 3-1
WRITTEN BY TARYN JACOBS
The first 35 minutes of the match remained scoreless, although both teams had several scoring opportunities. But the stalemate came to an end in the 36th minute of play when Davide Caputo found the back of the net, scoring his first career goal for the Blue and Gold. The ball moved seamlessly through the entire field with the play starting from FC Monmouth’s goalkeeper, Max Dunphy, and touching several other players before the final third. To finish the play, Jack Wagoner, who just finished his first season at the University of Pennsylvania, played a perfectly timed through ball to Caputo who chipped the ball over First State FC’s keeper from the edge of the box. The teams headed into the locker rooms at halftime with FC Monmouth leading 1-0.
The second half began and FC Monmouth carried the momentum of the lead with them. In the 54th minute of play, a shot from John Troiano was deflected by the keeper, but Davide Caputo cleaned up all the scraps and scored the game-winning goal for the FC Monmouth squad. Caputo now tallies two career goals for the team.
“I feel great, not surprised though, I knew I could do it,” Caputo confidently said. He said his goals for the rest of the season are to “be a consistent starter, keep working hard, and keep scoring more goals.”
First State FC was able to cut their deficit to one goal in the 71st minute with a goal from Deshawn Bernard.
But FC Monmouth had a response. Tyler Hutchinson put the game away with a third goal in the 76th minute with his first goal for the team. A clearance from captain Rhys Cotter off a First State FC corner kick found its way into the feet of Hutchinson. A technically skilled player with tremendous speed took a controlled touch around the keeper who stood far from his line and successfully found the back netting from 30 yards out.
“I’m pretty excited. It came out of nowhere, but I’m glad to get it,” Hutchinson remarked. “And my teammates helped me out, so it was good.”
While Caputo and Hutchinson helped lead the team to victory, the back line also played a key role. The trio of Mason Martelloni, Jack Longo, and Robbie Tapp held their ground giving First State FC minimal opportunities while creating chances for their own team out of the back.
John Killick, FC Monmouth’s head coach, applauded the team and its players for the outstanding victory.
“I think the boys got what they deserved,” Killick emphasized. “It’s what I’ve seen in practice all week and we put it on the field today.”
The team will look to carry the momentum from last night’s win into their next match. They will be back home at Count Basie Park next Saturday to take on the Jackson Lions.