IPSWICH — Frustration perhaps may only be the tip of the iceberg for the way that Amesbury coach Brett Manoloff feels about his team's play over the last four games.
After the Indians' 3-0 loss to Ipswich yesterday, the more appropriate term may be discouragement judging by Manoloff's comments post game.
"Tomorrow we're going to come out to practice and play with desire," said Manoloff after briefly pausing to reflect on his team's performance. "I think that clearly states best what I thought of our team's effort.
"The fact of the matter is Ipswich wanted it more and deserved to win," Manoloff stated bluntly. "They should have won and did win."
In Amesbury's last four games, the Indians have been outscored 17-2, all losses. But the more perplexing aspect is the fact the team had come off its best run of form — a 2-1 stretch that saw the Indians beat Georgetown, 5-3 (a team they had lost to in the season opener), and Manchester Essex, 4-2, and nearly pulled off a stunning tie against North Andover in a well-played 2-1 loss.
Falling behind quickly to Ipswich, 2-0, in the first half, the Indians appeared to be coming out of their haze in the second half behind the quartet of Chris Youngs, Ben Lloyd, Dylan Bagshaw and Jason Wade.
Bagshaw was by far the most dangerous player of the half, weaving in and out of traffic, and wreaking havoc with his scintillating speed. Unfortunately the senior forward could not find the golden touch around the net.
Youngs' speed and work-rate also gave the Tiger defense fits as he and Bagshaw combined nicely up front aided by some terrific distribution from Wade.
And Lloyd's pure bulldog mentality from stopper and center-midfield later in the half thwarted Ipswich's attack with several great tackles to start counter attacks for his own team.
"In basic terms, those three players leave everything out on the field when the final whistle blows," Manoloff commended of his three senior leaders. "In the context of their positions, they work extremely hard for 80 minutes. I respect that more than anything else, and that sets them apart from the average player."
Five minutes into the second half, Wade nearly cut the Tiger lead in half. Off a corner the ball tipped to the sophomore, who took a touch and hit a shot toward the lower right netting, but the Ipswich goalie was just able to tip the ball out for another corner. On the ensuing corner Wade had a free header from the top of the 6-yard box, but could not get the shot on goal as it sailed over the crossbar.
The Indians did not take their foot off the gas pedal, and two minutes later Bagshaw took a pass from Youngs in transition right toward goal. Taking on two defenders, the gifted forward faked a shot from the top of the 18, cut back losing both defenders and hit a shot near post, which again forced the Ipswich keeper into a diving stop.
The Indian pressure was enough for the Ipswich coach to call a time-out 25 minutes into the half, and for a brief five-minute spell the Indians played their best soccer of the half. Then Ipswich provided the dagger for the fatal blow. Off a free kick from the right sidelines, Steve Hamilton was the first to meet the cross in the air in the box, and gently tucked the ball in the left netting for the game's final goal, a deflating moment for all the Indians' hard work in the second half.
"We are frustrated," Manoloff admitted. "But being professional and being men, we will come back and work hard toward our next match. We will finish strong."
