With possession nearing the left corner, Agu rifled a long cross into the box, finding Sanders. At point-blank range within the middle of the goal box, Sanders took the ball and buried it in the back left corner of the net with a header, beating a helpless Brandon Watson in goal for the Highlanders to give Tacoma the game’s lone score.

 

“It was a buildup. We knocked the ball into Rory….and (he) knocked a fabulous ball in,” said Tide FC head coach Gerry Gray.

 

“Nice cross and point-blank header, not much I could do when it’s put into the corner like that,” said Watson, Victoria’s keeper.

 

“When we got that goal, it was a big momentum boost for us,” said Tacoma’s Sanders.

 

Prior to the score, Tacoma’s play was riddled with shoddy passes and poorly played balls. It also included almost giving up a goal in the 21st minute to Victoria after a shot from midfielder James Merriman, paralyzing Tide FC goalkeeper Jordan Jennings, bounced off the far post and a wasted one-on-one scoring opportunity in the box three minutes later for Tacoma, leaving head coach Gerry Gray asking for more from his team at the half.

 

“I had a few words, a few choice words, with the boys,” said Gray.

 

“In the first half, we came out a little lax,” said the Tide FC’s Sanders. “Our coach really challenged us to pick up our game.”

 

While the win extended Tacoma’s unbeaten streak to seven matches, Sanders said there was more that came from the victory.

 

“This is a really big game because they’re in first place and we need to get in to the final playoff spot, so it was a six-point game for us,” said Sanders.

 

That six-point swing put Tacoma (6-2-1) one win behind Victoria (7-2-1) for a birth into the USL Premier Development League’s postseason.

 

NOTES:

Tacoma’s starting lineup: 1 (GK) Jordan Jennings, 25 (D) Elliot Morton, 26 (D) Brandon Henry, 12 (D) Tony Armitage, 7 (D) Sean Foss, 5 (M) Raphael Cox, 6 (M) Chase Tangney, 13 (M) Vlad Voin, 16 (M) Ruben Orozco, 24 (F) Chris Sanders, 10 (F) Rory Agu

Victoria’s starting lineup: 29 (GK) Brandon Watson, 5 (D) Jamie Cunningham, 13 (D) Tyler Hughes, 14 (D) Craig Robertson, 20 (D) Chris Scott, 11 (M) Craig Gorman, 17 (M) Jordie Hughes, 16 (M) James Merriman, 4 (M) Diaz Kambere, 12 (F) Matt Pele, 21 (F) Kareem Henry

 

Chris Sanders’ goal in the 59th minute was his fifth on the season for Tacoma…Rory Agu’s assist was his second on the year…Victoria outshot the Tide FC in the first half five to two and for the game eight to six…Manning the nets, Jordan Jennings recorded five saves for Tacoma, with Victoria’s Brandon Watson inking two…Sunday’s game was the first clean sheet on the season for the Tide FC’s Jennings and the third overall for the team this year…In the 26th minute Tide FC defender Brandon Henry picked up a yellow card…Victoria defender Jamie Cunningham was carded in the 61st minute, receiving a yellow…Four minutes later, Tacoma’s Raphael Cox earned a red card and four minutes after that, in the 69th minute, the Highlanders’ James Merriman got a yellow…Tacoma’s next home match at Curtis High School Stadium is June 30 against the Portland Timbers U23. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.tacomatidesports.com and at the stadium on the night of the game.