YARMOUTH — A night after its high-scoring football team had trouble scoring, Yarmouth’s prolific boys’ soccer team had similar difficulty on the same field. And the game was nearly as physical.

Yet the result was the same for both teams – a close victory.

Matthew Beatty scored off a corner kick in the 56th minute Saturday night as Yarmouth defeated Falmouth 1-0.

The Clippers (9-1) have eight shutouts.

“I thought it would be low scoring but not as physical because both teams are so good technically,” said Yarmouth Coach Mike Hagerty. “This rivalry is a great rivalry with 1,000 people in the crowd, and these kids grew up watching great Falmouth/Yarmouth games.

“Sometimes kids get a little excited and it gets more physical then you planned. I thought it was going to be a fast-paced, one-goal game and it was.”

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Yarmouth came into the game with 41 goals in nine games, but Falmouth applied consistent pressure, leaving little space to create chances.

“We tried to play a 4-5-1 (formation) a little to counter their formation to try and get the ball through our midfield,” Hagerty said. “Their backs are very good so we wanted to draw them up and get in behind them. It could have easily been a 2-0 game or 1-1 game.”

Yarmouth scored with about 24 minutes remaining after its fourth corner kick.

The ball was knocked around until Beatty scored his first goal of the year.

“It kind of got boring standing around with no goals being scored,” Beatty said. “Last year they scored on a bicycle kick in our box, so in a close game like this, any goal counts.”

Following the goal, Yarmouth continued to apply pressure, including a cross by Patrick Grant that just missed a teammate. But the Yachtsmen recovered and nearly tied it with less than 16 minutes left on a free kick from midfield that went just over the crossbar.

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Falmouth Coach Dave Halligan said his team tried to limit Yarmouth’s chances but wouldn’t say that he was happy with his defense, despite holding the Clippers to four shots on goal.

“Last year we had our way with them here but we knew that wasn’t going to happen tonight,” Halligan said. “They’re just too good.”

Yarmouth, which has surrended three goals all season, held Falmouth to one shot on goal and minimal chances.

“We had too many balls in the air in the middle and they’re strong down the middle,” Halligan said.

“You just can’t do that. It’s like banging your head against the wall.”

Neither team had a serious chance in the first half in which only two corners were taken (one each). The best chance of the half belonged to Yarmouth, and it came with less than 10 seconds remaining when Grant took a pass and chipped a shot over the crossbar as time expired.

Falmouth’s best opportunity in the opening half came on a free kick from beyond midfield that was pulled out of the air in the penalty box by Yarmouth goalkeeper Cal Owen with about 10 minutes remaining.

At the start of the game, both teams tried to establish a passing game, but neither defense would allow much.

Yarmouth had the first chance on a give-and-go but the shot missed the net in the 10th minute.


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