SCARBOROUGH — The deciding goal was technically an own goal but there was no denying that third-seeded Gorham High earned a 2-1 victory against second-ranked Scarborough in a Class A South girls’ soccer semifinal Saturday.

Gorham (13-3) dominated the final 60 minutes, finished with a 13-3 shot advantage and will be home against fifth-seeded Marshwood (14-3) in the regional final Wednesday.

“It’s so tough to have an own goal scored,” Gorham Coach Jeanne Zarrilli said. “But what I would give my kids credit for is the pressure they were putting on those backs. It wouldn’t have been scored if we weren’t down there pounding away.”

Emma Forgues put Gorham ahead with a blast from 20 yards with 36:29 to play. Mary Farnkoff tied the game for Scarborough (13-2-2) with 22:34 to play, booming in a shot from 30 yards. It was Scarborough’s only strong shot on goal, and it came from an odd bounce and Farnkoff’s alert coverage and expert shot.

Thirty-eight seconds later, Elizabeth Sullivan of Gorham drove a cross into the box that Elise O’Reilly tried to kick away but sent into her own net.

For the remainder of the game, Gorham controlled play despite none of its players having been in a regional semifinal before.

Zarrilli said she was worried how her team would react.

“Well, I would have to say they reacted about as well as I’ve seen a team react,” Scarborough Coach Mike Farley said, “because to be honest with you, they outplayed us. They won all the 50-50 balls. They were aggressive going forward. They basically powered the last goal into the net. Elise has to play that ball because she doesn’t know what’s behind her. They did everything to put us in spots to make us uncomfortable.”

Forgues and Hallie Shiers combined with Meghan Perrin, Jenna Cowan, and reserves Courtney Cushing and Alexis Fotter to control the midfield.

The defense was led by its strong center presence of Cady Houghton and Narissa Libby. Houghton consistently won balls in the air, often heading her winner directly to teammates. Libby consistently pushed forward to assist in the midfield.

Sullivan was a game-long force down the left side.

“We worked so hard this entire season for exactly this moment, hosting (the Southern) Maine final and hopefully going on to states,” Sullivan said.

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