GROVES NETS A KEY OAA WHITE VICTORY

BIRMINGHAM » The host Birmingham Groves Falcons took an important step toward the Oakland Activities Association White title with a 4-0 win over the visiting Royal Oak Ravens Tuesday night.

The first half had a playoff feel to it as neither team was able to generate many chances. But the Falcons were able to take advantage of the chances they did create. Groves had only four shots on the first half — but three of them found the back of the net.

“It’s something that we’ve been working on because that hasn’t been the case. We’ve been creating six, seven chances to score one goal. So today, that was a lot better and hopefully we can keep that one going,” Groves head coach Greg Perkins said.

The Falcons got on the board with 30:23 remaining in the first half when Cameron McIntosh fired a ball from the left wing that found Mori Miller for a tap in at the back post, giving Groves a 1-0 lead with the first shot on goal of the game.

The Falcons made it 2-0 on their second shot on goal, which came with 19:21 remaining before the half when Bret Russell pounced on a loose ball in the box and ripped it home.

The Falcons added another goal with 12:01 to play before half. McIntosh picked up his second assist when he looped a free kick from the left corner across the goal and Matthew Meilinger headed it home to make it 3-0 Groves.

“I think we started quick, which was important, and getting three before halftime was massive,” Perkins said. “Two is a dangerous lead because you can always come back from two and it can feel a little more comfortable than it actually really is.”

The Ravens would try to fight back in the second half. Royal Oak started the half backing up the Falcons into the Groves defensive end. The Ravens also would go on to outshoot the Falcons in the second half, but they could not finish their chances and dent Groves’ lead. For the game, each team finished with six shots on goal, but whereas the Falcons took full advantage of their chances, the Ravens were profligate with the chances they were able to create against a strong Groves back line anchored by center back Ben Roman.

“We weren’t hitting those gaps. We were just kind of missing, off shooting on everything,” Ravens head coach Mike Thomas said.

Miller added the exclamation point for Groves with 12:21 remaining when he was taken down on a breakaway and converted the ensuing penalty kick to make it

4-0.

With the win, the Falcons improve to 9-5-2 overall and 5-0 in OAA White. The Falcons travel to Rochester on Thursday and can clinch the division title with a win or a draw.

Royal Oak falls to 11-3-1 overall and 3-1 in the division.

The Ravens return home on Thursday to host Birmingham Seaholm in another OAA White match.

“We’re missing a couple of our better players,” Thomas said.

“We’re kind of making that up right now, and that’s our two weak spots that they attacked. If they were in, it may be different.”

JASON SCHMITT — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Birmingham Groves’ Mario Blum-Alexander, left, and Royal Oak’s Grant Mapley position themselves for the ball during Tuesday’s game at Groves. The host Falcons defeated the Ravens, 4-0, in a battle for first place in the OAA White Division. Royal Oak is ranked ninth in Division 1while Groves is not ranked.

JASON SCHMITT — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Birmingham Groves’ Mori Miller has one eye on the ball and another on the Royal Oak defense during his team’s 4-0 win Tuesday. Miller scored a pair of goals in the game.