Despite ominous skies and the threat of thundershowers, a large and enthusiastic crowd gathered at Bishop Reding Field in Milton on Friday night in support of Milltown FC as they attempted to close out a run of six straight Friday night home games on a high note.

Hot on the heels of a thrilling 2-1 victory over FC Hamilton Croatia last Friday, which put them all alone in 2nd place in the Canadian Soccer League standing, Milltown FC prepared to face North York Astros, a team they had defeated by a score of 4-2 back on June 27.  MFC and North York came into the game going in opposite directions, with Milltown riding an eight game undefeated streak while Astros had lost four in a row after a very good start to the season.

Milltown FC`s Head Coach and Director of Soccer Operations, Rafael Carbajal, had to tweak his lineup for this match due to the absence of Agustin DeMedina, Erick Olazabal and Eros Olazabal.  On the plus side, Coach Carbajal was able to reintroduce Jason Morgan to the roster as he had recovered from injury.

From the outset, Milltown controlled the game, creating several early chances and got their first goal of the evening at the 15th minute mark when newly signed forward, Lesly St. Fleur, split two defenders to latch onto a pass from Martijn Kuijpers before calmly depositing the ball into the back of the net past Astros goalkeeper Ryan Zamora.  This was the first goal of the season for the Bahaminan National Team member.

MFC continued to dominate both possession and chances in the first half and, in the 41st minute, they extended their lead to two goals when a perfectly executed set play from a corner kick got the ball to Thierry Mangwa-Batomen inside the 18 yard box, which he hammered into the far left corner of the net.  It was the defender’s 2nd goal of the season.

Milltown’s did not sit back after halftime and, in the 61st minute, St. Fleur was again in the middle of the action as he deftly controlled an over the top pass to break in on goal.  As he prepared to unleash a left footed shot, he was taken down by the onrushing Astros keeper inside the 18 yard box, resulting in yellow card to Zamora and a penalty shot being called for MFC.  Martijn Kuijpers stepped up to the spot and made no mistake, extending the lead to 3-0.

With game in hand, Coach Carbajal was able to give some young players their 1st opportunity to get a run out for the first team.  Romeo Parada, Peter Niles and hometown boy Thomas Santibanez all got into the game.

MFC Captain Scott Cliff had his quietest night of the year, facing very few shots on goal to record his 4th shutout of the season.

When the final whistle was blown, the PA Announcer let everyone know that this victory put Milltown FC in first place in the CSL standings, resulting in a rousing standing ovation for their hometown squad.  The MFC players acknowledged the appreciation of the fan by returning the applause as a way of saying “thank you” for all their support over the past six weeks.  A large gathering of young players from Milton Youth Soccer Club gathered near the stadium exit, showering the players with cheers and high-fives as they headed back to the locker room.

"We would never have predicted that we would be in first place after 13 games in our first CSL but this team has worked hard and has shown a lot of discipline and commitment,” said Coach Carbajal. “However, there is still a lot of soccer to be played and we have very tough opponents over the next three weeks.  We must continue to do the work if we expect to continue getting positive results and to stay at or near the top of the table.”
The victory gives Milltown FC 25 points from 13 games and extends their undefeated streak to 9 games.  They now have a record of 7 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses.

Milltown will now play four straight games away from the friendly confines of Bishop Reding Field.  Their next match takes place on Saturday, July 31st at 7pm, when they will face Toronto FC Academy for the first time.  The match will be played at St. Joan of Arc Secondary School in Maple, Ontario.  Game time is 7pm.

MFC’s next home game is August 28 when the club hosts Milton Youth Soccer Day.  That event will be a double header, with the MFC Reserve Team taking the field at 1:15pm, followed by Milltown FC vs. Montreal Impact Academy at 4pm.

Milltown FC v North York Astros (July 23, 2010)

Scoring Summary:
15th minute – Milltown FC goal scored by #9 Lesly St. Fleur
41st minute – Milltown FC goal scored by #2 Thierry Mangwa-Batomen
62nd minute – Milltown FC goal scored by #10 Martijn Kuijpers (Penalty Shot)

Milltown FC Starting Lineup:
Scott Cliff (c), Eric Batchanou, Thierry Mangwa-Batomen, Ben Ragan, Tristan Scott, Chris Suta, Brian Alcantara, Jason Morgan, Martijn Kuijpers,  Lesley St. Fleur, Cordell Benjamin

Milltown FC Substitutes:
Alessandro Famele, Chad Fernandez, Jesse Mahal, Romeo Parada, Thomas Santibanez, Gersi Xhuti, Peter Niles

Milltown FC Substitution Summary:
52nd Minute – Benjamin Out, Xhuti In
69th Minute – St. Fleur Out, Niles In
73rd Minute – Alcantara Out, Santibanez In
73rd Minute – Kuijpers Out, Parada In
80th Minute – Scott Out, Fernandez In

Milltown FC Disciplinary Summary:
Chris Suta (Yellow Card)

North York Astros Starting Lineup:
Ryan Zamora, Anthony Valentine, Jongwon Jung, Nicholas Rom Colthoff, Erik Grigore, Camilo Moreno, Mauricio Chamale, Kurt Ramsey, Jevon Vanderreydon, Mahyar Kohbad, Andrew Mbala

North York Astros Substitutes:
Luis Gonzalez, Victor Gallo, Roozbeh Houdaji, Diego Bonilla

North York Astros Substitution Summary:
45th Minute – Mbala Out, Gallo In
63rd Minute – Valentine Out, Gallo In
68th Minute – Chamale Out, Bonilla in

North York Astros Disciplinary Summary
Jevon Vanderreydon (Yellow)
Camilo Moreno (2 Yellow Cards, Ejection in 60th minute)
Mauricio Chamale (Yellow Card)
Ryan Zamora (Yellow Card)