Victory Falls to Pioneers 2-0

Western Mass midfielder Jordan Branco notched a pair of goals in the Pioneers 2-0 win over Boston on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Branco appeared on the scoresheet in the 7th and 31st minutes while Pioneers’ goalkeeper Warren Gross earned his second straight clean sheet to send Boston to its fifth straight loss.

The Pioneers dominated the first half, outshooting the Victory 8-2. One of their first shots of the game netted them the lead when D.J. Pereira sent a ball toward an unmarked Branco, who took a touch before beating keeper Vinny Papageorgiou in the seventh minute.

After the half hour mark, Branco struck again. This time, it was Eddie Bogle who set up the Pioneers’ number 10, who gave his team a two-goal lead before halftime.

In the second half, Boston edged their guests in the shots department (5-4), but were stymied on each occasion. In the 52nd minute, Paul Latif nearly put the Victory back in the game on a corner, but his shot leaped over the bar.

Another opportunity went unanswered in the latter stages when Hellah Sidibe went alone on Gross. But with the angle waning as he approached, the subsequent shot went high and wide of frame.

The Pioneers return to action on Jul. 6 when they host CFC Azul at Lusitano Stadium at 7:30pm. Boston hits the pitch again on Jul. 5 for a road game against the Phantoms at Portsmouth High School at 7pm.