Strikers, Feildians share early Challenge Cup lead
C.B.S. posts two wins on the weekend, including one against the Double Blues
Granted it’s early, but the Conception Bay South Strikers are tied for first place in the Johnson Insurance Challenge Cup provincial senior men’s soccer standings.
The Strikers, who didn’t win a single one of their 22 Challenge Cup games two years ago, then improved to 7-12-4 in 2017, posted two victories over the weekend to improve to 3-1 on the young season.
Saturday at the Topsail pitch, Ben Stone scored the only goal and Scott Budden recorded the shutout as C.B.S. blanked Feildians 1-0. The Strikers followed that up with a 2-0 win over Mount Pearl Sunday at the Gushue Complex, with Erik Mathiasen scoring what would stand as the winning marker. For Mount Pearl, it was a first loss after opening the season with ties against defending champion Holy Cross and the St. Lawrence Laurentians, who were idle over the weekend..
In Sunday’s other contest, played at King George V Park, Feildians bounced back for a 2-0 win over Paradise, with Tiuri Lomond and Felly Elonda providing the goals for the Double Blues, who also sport a 3-1 record.
It was the fourth loss in as many games for expansion Paradise, which lost to Holy Cross Saturday at King George V Park. That game, like the league’s other three weekend matchups, also involved a shutout as Hack Haywood of the Crusaders posted the clean sheet, while Fomba Fombullah delivered the game’s lone tally with 10 minutes left in regulation.
It was the first win of the season for Holy Cross (1-1-1).