Sun August 28, 2016 League 1 Ontario--Oakville Blue Devils vs Sigma FC (from League 1 Ontario website)

Sigma Drops 2-0 Result To Ten Man Blue Devils 
08/30/2016, 12:15am EDT
By League1 Ontario staff

Oakville Blue Devils continue to demonstrate late season form, dropping west 
division leader's Sigma FC 2-0 after goals from Filipe Vilela (69') 
and Judah Hernandez (78'), and all with ten men after keeper Karman Saini 
was dismissed inside the first half-hour. 

"We had a reasonable cause to win and we are at the point in the season 
where we are improving our play," said Oakville head coach, Duncan Wilde. 
"So we are very pleased with that. It was also incredibly difficult 
in that heat."

"We went down to 10 men early, and the youth and movement Sigma brings 
is always difficult to play against," he added. 

"But I think we stuck to our task, our tactics were right and the performances 
from our core players were good, and we never looked back."

At the top of the table and with everything still to play for, Sigma head 
coach Bobby Smyrniotis was nevertheless unmoved by the disappointing result.  

"I thought it was an interesting match," he said. "Oakville is a good team 
and we came into it missing a few more of our more senior players so we had 
to move things around a little bit."

"I think we had a good half overall, and obviously we had a great opportunity 
with a penalty shot but that didn't go in," he added. "There were two 
advantages with that penalty and then the red card. That didn't workout 
in that half."

"And then in the second half they hit us on the counter attack and I think 
after that our youth really showed," he explained. 

"The decisions we were making and the way we were trying to get back into 
[showed that]. But we either learn from it or let it bother you. So we need 
to learn from it and be positive and move forward."

Sigma still holds first position in the west division, but by the slimmest 
of margins with only point up on FC London - the London side also has 
three matches in hand on Sigma. 

Sigma will need to hope for London to drop points, and win their remaining 
fixtures (of which the third and final is an away date in London), in order 
to hang on to claim west division honours and a place in the championship 
final versus the top team from the east. 

Perhaps Oakville will yet do Sigma a favour, with the Blue Devils' next 
match against the second place side. 

"Now we get the chance for one or two more bodies to get back," said Wilde, 
"then we have nine days off, and our next game is London."

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