The Riots’ Ahmed Suja pick-pocketed a key victory from visiting Westbrook on Thursday night, Oct. 1, scoring two quick late-game goals to turn a South Portland deficit into a thrilling, 2-1 W.

“Sheer will?” South Portland head coach Bryan Hoy said, chuckling, when asked what allowed Suja to notch two rapid-fire goals and spin the game on its head. “That’s one of the things I’ve been impressing on the guys. You don’t give up when you’re on the field.”

“We got lazy,” said Blazes head coach Greg Cavanaugh, thoroughly unimpressed with his boys’ play in the waning minutes. “We said it at halftime: ‘You’d better not be content just dumping it up and sitting there.’ And that’s what we did.”

Westbrook broke a long, 0-0 deadlock with 3:15 to play in the first half when they hurriedly took advantage of a moment of South Portland confusion. Blaze Shammah Gahomera blasted the ball across from the left corner; it curled in on Riots keeper Riley Hasson – who appeared a little caught off-guard.

To Hasson’s credit, he reacted quickly and got his gloves on the ball – but it slipped from his grip again and bulged the net behind him. 1-0, Westbrook.

Cavanaugh called it an “own-goal” – meaning that, after Gahomera’s nice cross, the ball deflected in off a South Portland player.

“We talked about, after the own-goals we’ve given up, those teams made their own luck,” Cavanaugh said. “We finally forced an error.”

“We let down a little bit,” said Hoy. “It kind of reminded me of the Gorham game, when we let down and they scored.”

Heavy winds may also have played a factor in the goal, as they did all game, diverting kicks from their initial destinations. Regardless, Westbrook capitalized on an opportunity, and for a long time – fully the next 40 minutes – they guarded their advantage carefully.

Tensions ran a little high on the field as the game progressed. Members of both squads, for instance, swarmed in on each other after a bit of a fracas around Blazes keeper DJ Henriksen, prostrate on the turf with the ball in his possession. But aggression is useless in competition if it can’t be channeled, and neither side could manage as much.

Not, that is, until Suja – loitering in close to the Westbrook net with just 3:34 remaining and the Riots no doubt feeling desperate – headed an incoming ball over Henriksen’s shoulder to even the tally at one-all.

Cavanaugh was visibly unhappy after that, as his defense had been caught off-guard. “I get it,” he said, “the kids are working hard. They’re tired. But your legs tell you you’re tired; it’s your mind, your mindset.”

Now the battle looked headed to OT – rather, it looked that way for roughly 30 seconds, until Suja scored again, this time on a gorgeous kick from maybe 25 yards out-right. The ball spiraled across left, practically destined to go in, and beat Henriksen far-side. Suja’s one-man display of prowess had swiped for the Riots a huge triumph.

“Ahmed’s a very special player. In practice, I try to take it from him and I can’t,” said Hoy. “Sometimes, he’s a magician out there with the ball. If he gets ten yards clearance like he had in front of the box, he’s gonna put it in. He’s that good of a shooter.”

Hoy nodded as well to Kervens Antoine, for playing great up top and keeping the play alive that led to Suja’s second hash. “His shot, I think it got deflected out to Ahmed, so he deserves credit on that as well,” Hoy said.

“After you let one in,” Cavanaugh said, “I’ve never seen a Westbrook team quit like this group. Never seen such a thing. It’s only tied. That’s fine. You’re controlling the better part of the game. We had a defensive breakdown, where we got a little content, thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, we can boot it up and defend for the last two minutes, or five minutes.’ Against a team like that? No way. They’re too potent.”

The No. 6 Riots improved to 4-2-2 on the result. The team hosted Windham (15th at 2-6) on Saturday, Oct. 3, winning 3-0, and TA (first at 8-0-2) on Tuesday the 6th, after Current Publishing’s print deadline. They drop in on Cheverus on Thursday the 8th.

Eighth-ranked Westbrook stumbles to 3-5-1. The Blazes would’ve picked up substantial Heal Points – and thus gained critical ground – in the race through the standings, had they held on for a win. Instead, their follow-up opportunity came on the 6th against visitors Scarborough (No. 3, 6-0-2). They travel to Bonny Eagle (12th, 1-5-2) on the 8th.

Westbrooker Nshuti Gakuru cuts upfield for the Blazes at South Portland on Thursday.Westbrook’s Orry Nihangame and South Portland’s Khalid Suja clash over a header.Adam Blackmore boots the ball ahead for the Blazes at South Portland on Thursday.Ahmed Suja had two late-game goals for South Portland vs. Westbrook on Thursday.Nshuti Gato of Westbrook and Charlie Cronin of South Portland both hope to take control of an airborne ball.The Blazes’ Noah Oliver and the Riots’ Kervens Antoine collide in a battle of lucky sevens.Alex Livingston gets air for South Portland over Westbrooker Ahmed Hadi.