YARMOUTH — Persistence pays. Just ask the Yarmouth girls’ soccer team.

Midfielder Sara D’Appolonia scored on her eighth shot of the game and Abby Condon closed down Falmouth’s top offensive threat to lift Yarmouth to a 1-0 victory in the Class B Western Maine Conference season finale for both teams Monday night at Yarmouth High.

D’Appolonia, who took shots from long range all night, broke through in the 77th minute, when her shot from 25 yards fell under the crossbar to give Yarmouth a 1-0 lead.

“I was open so I figured I’d shoot it, and I didn’t expect it to go in,” D’Appolonia said. “We wanted (to win) so badly. We controlled most of the game and we deserved it.”

The goal capped a dominant performance by the Clippers (8-3-3), who went 4-0-2 in their final six games of the regular season.

“October’s our month,” said Condon, a tenacious midfielder who drew the assignment of marking Tyler Spence, Falmouth’s dangerous striker who came into the game with eight goals.

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Spence touched the ball fewer than a dozen times, mostly in the second half.

“My job was to make sure (Spence) didn’t get through balls,” Condon said. “The whole team stepped up if I missed it. This is a real confidence booster.”

Added Yarmouth Coach Rich Smith: “Abby has been immense for us the last few games. She focuses and plays hard for 80 minutes and doesn’t allow other team to score.”

The Clippers, ranked second in the Western Class B Heal point standings, dominated much of the game, finishing with an edge in shots (28-7), shots on goal (17-4) and corner kicks (10-0). Keeper Shannon Fallon had four saves.

“We played well again tonight,” Smith said. “We had a lot of really good scoring opportunities and things are kind of turning our way. The girls know how to finish teams off.”

With Spence covered, the Yachtsmen’s offensive push fell to forward Georgia Babikian and midfielders Lucy Mahoney and Emma Van Wickler, who found support in long runs from left back Emma England.

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Falmouth (6-6-2) came out hard in the second half, controlling play for much of the opening 10 minutes. Van Wickler just missed connecting with Babikian’s cross from the goalie’s right a minute in. Later in the second, England’s low cross from the left corner traveled along the goal crease, where Amelia Waite knocked it just wide of the back post.

“We’re pretty beat up, and they play so direct that it’s tough to get numbers forward and transition quickly,” Falmouth Coach Andrew Pelletier said. “We battled and that’s all I asked of the girls tonight.”

Falmouth center back Marcy Kittredge had an outstanding game in the face of Yarmouth’s attack, snuffing plays before they could reach keeper Adelaide Cook (16 saves). Late in the second half, Kittredge headed away Katie Clemmer’s hard drive from 20 yards.

“(Kittredge) was a rock tonight,” Pelletier said.

Yarmouth has been rock solid for a few weeks now.

“This was our senior night against our biggest rival,” senior midfielder Emma Torres said. “We knew (a goal) was going to come eventually. I’m so glad Sara was able to knock it in.”


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