June 13, 2017 League 1 Ontario Match Recap: Toronto Skillz vs Aurora FC (from League 1 Ontario website)

Match Recap: Toronto Skillz 1 - 2 Aurora FC
06/13/2017, 11:45am EDT
By League1 Ontario staff

Aurora FC took home their first win of the season on Matchweek Seven as Jared Agyemang (11') 
set the team off on the right foot just after ten minutes, while Joe Tituana (49') got 
the eventual winner just after the restart.

"It's been coming for quite a while," said Aurora head coach, Derek O'Keeffe. 

"I just said to the boys that we need to keep patient, keep working on what we're doing, 
and just believe in what we are doing as a team. We did that today. Going back 
to Woodbridge and Vaughan, games where we could have got something as well, but finally 
now we have a first win, some momentum building, and I think something special 
happening here." 

Toronto Skillz were never out of the contest, and a late strike by Anhr El Eidani (89') 
carried a sense of optimism that the home side could level the score. 

"Yes we liked that, and again we introduced our young players from the academy," said 
Toronto Skillz head coach, Leslie "Tiger" Fitzpatrick.

"It's kind of tough on them because they are playing academy games as well. Four or five 
that played in the second half played ninety minutes yesterday, but they came in and 
had a good showing today. You like to see that we have that character, but I think 
mentally we really need to figure out what it takes to win a game. As good as the 
performance might be in the last two weeks or whatever, you're still coming out 
on the losing end. That comes with a young team and you just have to keep working 
with them and try to build on that."

"For us this team is definitely about developing and trying to bring the older 
youth along. If you look at our team, the average age is eighteen, nineteen years old. 
In the same vein though, this league is about winning and also in terms of what we are 
doing as an organization off the field, we want that to mirror on the field. We really 
want the kids to understand that there is a consequence at the end of it. You want 
to develop winners, as much as you play well there is a consequence at the end 
and that is winning." 

Aurora's O'Keeffe was particularly happy with the work of young keeper Adam Scanlon, 
and felt that his young charges showed both discipline and the collective focus 
to weather late Skillz momentum and get the result.

"[Scanlon] was very good today," said O'Keeffe. "He is a U21 player, lots of potential. 
He showed very good leadership there, talking with his back four, organizing and as well
some fantastic saves at times. He kept us in the game, especially going into half-time." 

"I thought we made hard work for ourselves at the end of the game," he said. 

"We had a couple chances to put goals three and four past them, and as a result when 
you do not take those chances you make it hard for yourself at the end. We just held 
on but I think it was a well-deserved win." 

Toronto Skillz will next play Sanjaxx Lions on June 18 at Monarch Park, Toronto. 

Aurora FC will next play TFC III on June 18 at Kia Training Ground, Toronto.

back to 2017 League 1 Ontario Men's index

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