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© 2010 Baton Rouge Capitals

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CULT ENERGY DRINK

MATCH STATS

CULT CAPITALS 5
Atlanta Blackhawks 1

Capitals scorers:
29mins: Tait (Asst: Anderson)
36mins: Tait (Asst: McCubbin)
45mins: Tait (Asst: Josey Portillo)
50mins: Josey Portillo (Asst: Tait)
82mins: Hayers (Pen.)

CULT Energy Drink Man-of-the-Match:  Joe Tait

Official PDL match stats at:
http://www.uslsoccer.com/stats/2010/1584863.html

Baton Rouge CULT Capitals 5, Atlanta Blackhawks 1 (Sunday 11th July, 2010 – PDL Southestern Division)

CULT Capitals rout Atlanta in goal spree as Tait scores hat-trick

On the day when Spain were crowned World Cup winners, Baton Rouge had more important soccer matters on its mind at Olympia Stadium, Sunday: ensuring a place in the PDL Southeast Division playoffs. As did an Atlanta Blackhawks team which had a slim chance, too, were they to win this match.

However, defender Joe Tait had other plans as he recorded a hat-trick of goals in a 5-1 victory which returned Capitals to the top of the standings and all but mathematically puts them in a play-off position.

Capitals had suffered their one and only loss of the season just four days previously, at title rivals Mississippi Brilla, but the team rebounded from that setback in determined fashion.

Capitals started the game cautiously after the defeat to Brilla and an enforced change had been made to the line-up:  Justin Portillo returned to the side in place of suspended leading goal-scorer Ben Callon and the team did not miss his prowess at all as Joe Tait stepped up and provided three goals and an assist on the night.  The midfielder, being played out of his familiar central defender position, relished his new role and said, "It was great to play further forward, and I’m glad I could get on the score-sheet again tonight!"

Despite a slow start, it took only 11 minutes for Joe Tait to express his attacking intentions as he rounded the goalkeeper but took a heavy touch to allow Atlanta to get back and clear.

However, the goal-fest to come began in a similar manner, this time Tait keeping his composure to slide the ball coolly under body of Atlanta goalkeeper Nick Burton in the 29th minute.

Tait’s second goal came just five minutes later from a slide-rule pass from Mark Anderson which Joe Tait ran onto and volley spectacularly over the goalkeeper from 18 yards out.  The game was to be put to bed before half time when great work up the left from Capitals’ player-coach Stuart Hayers and Josey Portillo provided Tait with a tap-in from six yards. A hat-trick for Joe Tait, who acknowledged a sizeable Olympia Stadium attendance which was in ecstasy as the team went into half-time leading 3-0.

Baton Rouge made changes shortly after the break but still went about their fluid passing game and exciting attacking. Coach Stuart Hayers commented, "With the players we had on the bench we were still able to play the same way and I was happy some of them could go out and show what they could do".

Mark Anderson was to have two superb further efforts denied on an evening when he was certainly not shot-shy, before being replaced; the first was a dipping left foot volley from 18 yards out and the next was a deft chip from 20 yards that had the Atlanta goalkeeper struggling as it came off the bar.

The fourth Capitals’ goal was to come in the 50th minute courtesy of the hero-of-the-night Joe Tait feeding Josey Portillo as the winger came in to stroke the ball home. And the match still wasn’t finished as 16 year-old Connor Randall flashed a volley against a post in a series of attacks by Capitals.

However, it was Atlanta who scored next as Toure sneaked in on the left to slide a pass home from Maloney, much to the annoyance of central defender Chris Williams, who was upset at not keeping the shut-out.

The last goal game came from a penalty after Capitals continued the onslaught on the Blackhawks’ goal. Substitute defender John Hamide went up to head a corner in the 80th minute, only to be bundled into the ground by Atlanta’s Brettschrider on the edge of the six-yard box; an offence which earned Hamide a bloodied nose and Brettschrider a matching red card.  From the resultant penalty Stuart Hayers calmly slotted the ball passed the goalkeeper to wrap up a win that took Capitals back to the top of the standings and within sight of a play-off place. 

Capitals GM/player Ben Callon remarked after the match: "We are close to reaching the target we set at the start of the season. Another two points for Capitals makes a play-off position mathematically certain, and to be edging closer even before the final games of the season is just what we wanted."

Hat-trick hero: Defender Joe Tait  relished in his converted role as a striker to put three past  Atlanta Blackhawks and add an assist to his tally as Capitals win 5-1.

Photo: Gabriel Navar