GORHAM — For a game that was scoreless for 66 minutes, there was plenty of action in the Class A South boys’ soccer final.

Gorham finally broke through with a Ryan Farr goal, propelling the Rams past Portland for a 1-0 win Wednesday night.

Top-seeded Gorham (16-0-1) moves on to the state final at 12:30 p.m. Saturday against defending state champion Lewiston (15-0-2), at McMann Field in Bath.

No. 3 Portland is done at 10-4-3.

This was the third straight regional final between these two teams. Gorham won 1-0 in 2016, before losing to Bangor in the state final. Portland won on penalty kicks last year, then lost to Lewiston.

“Third-year running, all one-goal games. It’s just that close,” Gorham Coach Tim King said. “It went back and forth, which is scary, because they are a good team. We could never find any rhythm tonight, but that’s because they wouldn’t allow us to. We just had to fight, hoping we could make a play, and we made one.”

With 14 minutes left, Andrew Rent was taken down deep in the Portland zone, near the sideline. Brady King took the free kick and sent it to Rent.

“I crept in, got open and flicked it over,” Rent said, “and Ryan was just there.”

Farr expected the headed pass.

“Andrew is always there for flicks,” Farr said. “I just tried to get in front of my defender and get a foot on it. Luckily it went in.”

Farr scored into the open net, with 13:49 left.

“Dead balls are a soccer coach’s nightmare,” Portland Coach Rocco Frenzilli said. “You like to see goals scored in open play. But credit to them. They put the ball where it needed to be and knocked it in.”

The Rams beat Portland 3-1 during the regular season, but that was early when the Bulldogs were struggling.

“They were way better this time,” Gorham keeper Trevor Gray said. “They came out firing. They were excellent on the ball and won a lot of 50-50 balls.

“A lot of action tonight. Different from normal.”

Gray is normally not so busy, since Gorham has outscored opponents 48-4.

The Bulldogs pressed early. Gray tipped a shot over the crossbar. Another shot hit the post. The Rams’ back line of Grant Nadeau, Brendan Waterman, Travis Matheson and King was tested but held on.

“They’re all first-year starters and are getting better and better,” King said. “They brought it tonight and we needed every bit of it.”

Midway through the second half, Portland’s Gracien Mukwa boomed a shot that Gray again tipped over the crossbar.

“Trevor gives us a lot of confidence,” King said. “It’s going to take a great shot to beat him.”

Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-7411 or:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: KevinThomasPPH

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