UFL: Nomads improve to take share of spoils against Kaya

 

Kaya came out of the blocks quickly as Nate Burkey headed them in front in only the 8th minute. Controlling possession early on they struggled to find a second goal, Kaya's Sean Iliff fired over at the half hour mark, before the Nomads got into the game. Nomads should have equalized through Fidelis Nnabuife, but the striker was played in from the right. Yards out from goal, he blasted his effort too close to Saba Sadeghi who did well to dive and save the shot. 

 

The equalizer came after the break, though, as Nnabuife made up for his earlier miss. He tapped in the rebound from Steve Borrill’s saved shot in the 48th minute. Kaya pressed for a game-winner and came close when substitute Antonio Ugarte hit the post shooting on the turn, but they couldn’t find the lucky break and had to settle for a point in their third straight draw. 

 

First half

 

On a five match losing streak, the Nomads didn’t look like anything would change early on as Kaya got off to a great start with an early goal. On a seven match unbeaten run themselves, Anton Del Rosario fed Logan McDaniel down the left wing and his cross to the middle of the box was met by Nate Burkey, who headed in his fourth goal of the season.

 

It was too easy for Kaya, who dominated possession as they were afforded time and space on the ball, but they couldn’t find the final ball or clinical finishing to make the lead more comfortable. As the possession came and went, Nomads started getting more comfortable on the ball themselves and threatened on the counter attack. 

 

In the 32nd minute, Kaya almost fortuitously got the second, as a through ball to the right was intercepted by a Nomads defender who got a toe to the ball redirecting it to Sean Iliff. Iliff took the ball on and shot from just outside the area, firing only inches over. 

 

Nomads had a fantastic opportunity to level only a minute later. Going up the other end, a good through ball found Fidelis Nnabuife yards from goal with only Saba Sadeghi in his way. Opting for power, he hit hard but too close to the keeper who did well to get two hands on the ball as he dove to his right. 

 

Kaya had the chance to extend the lead in the 43rd minute, as a good cross to the back post found Nate Burkey with acres of space. But after a nervy first touch, he lashed over the bar from the six yard box. 

 

Second half

 

After the break, Nnabuife made up for his earlier miss as Jason Arroyo found Steve Borrill on the right, whose shot forced Saba into a decent save, but the keeper could only parry the ball to Nnabuife who tapped in his fourth goal of the season. Nomads' second goal in the last seven games was enough to equalize it in the 48th minute, as the side who started the season with only one loss in the opening six games started to look like that team again. 

 

Kaya tried to repeat their goal-scoring trick in the 55th minute, with Logan McDaniel again crossing from the left. But this time, Nate Burkey’s flying header went wide. Nomads then made a substitution, as Luis Infante replaced Jason Arroyo before Kaya had a fantastic chance of retaking the lead. Neat passing in midfield found the space on the wing to cross into the middle for Sean Iliff, and he slid to make contact with the ball but poked it just wide. 

 

Eric Dagroh then came on for Anton Del Rosario, before Kaya came inches away again at the 81st minute, as Antonio Ugarte was fed the ball in the area. Ugarte turned and shot at goal from the right, but his shot crashed against the bar. Soon afterwards, both teams made changes, hoping to edge the final few minutes and steal a win. Joseph Clottey came on for the Nomads in place of Aaron De Rama, while Leo Carlo Liay replaced Chris Greatwich for Kaya. 

 

After some frantic football, last ditch defending and blocks, in particular Steve Borrill flinging himself in front of a late shot from inside the area to block a certain goal, the game ended honors even at 1-1.

 

What’s next for the teams

 

Both teams will be playing again on May 7 looking to stop a bit of a rut. The Nomads will be happy with the point, but after seven games without a win with just two points from that run, they will be looking to get back to their early season form against Pachanga. 

 

Kaya, meanwhile, may be unbeaten in eight games, but this was their third straight draw, dropping six points in the process. This has left them well off the pace at the top, ten points behind third placer Global and fifteen points behind league leaders Stallion. However, they remain unbeaten under Coach David Perkovic and that will be something they can take away from their recent form, and the rest of their season. - RAF, GMA News