Murphy – There was a little disappointment in the Murphy girls soccer postgame huddle after a 1-1 tie against Franklin on Thursday. With the Lady Bulldogs leading 1-0 in the 65th minute, a questionable penalty was called in the box, giving the Lady Panthers a free kick that Jasmin Valencia converted.
So there was some sense that Murphy should have won instead of the tied, but it was still better than they’d ever gotten against Franklin. This was the first time the Lady Bulldogs had ever played the Lady Panthers and come away with something other than a loss.
“The girls did a heck of a job,” head coach Kim Brownlee said. “I’m real proud of them. It’s a nice game to end the week with to go into the break.”
After losing 3-2 at Franklin (2-7-3 overall) back on March 7, in the first week of the season, the Lady Bulldogs (5-3-1) knew they could be competitive. However, they had to make some tactical changes with starting midfielder Isabel Parker out with an injury. Barreiro, who usually plays as a central midfielder who controls the pitch and takes offensive chances when needed, slid into Parker’s typical role as a defensive midfielder.
Brownlee said having Barriero in that role presented some challenges offensively, but Murphy was still able to get on the board in the first half when Lailee Holloway curled a corner kick into the goal. Franklin, though, was the aggressor in the second half, getting more looks and better looks on goal. Murphy goalie Emma Ledford made two saves in the first 15 minutes of the second half, then the Lady Bulldogs turned away corner kicks, in the 60, 63rd and 64th minute, respectively.
However, in the 65th minute, Barreiro tried to run down a Franklin player, who tripped as Barriero slid in for her. The referee called a penalty on Barreiro, giving the Lady Panthers a free kick. Valencia stepped up and booted the ball into the left side of the goal to tie the game.
Murphy attacked quickly after the goal, with a good ball sent to Brooklyn Johnson in the 67th minute, but she couldn’t quite run it down. Ledford made another save in the 69th minute, and one minute later Teah Phillips sent a free kick wide of the net.
The Lady Bulldogs final chance at a goal came in the 73rd minute, when Holloway sent a shot from a little over half field, but it wasn’t quite hard enough and ended up being saved. Murphy turned away another Franklin corner in the 77th minute, before Valencia had time, room and space for a shot in the final minute that went wide of the net.
“I think they dug deep,” Brownlee said. “They didn’t get the greatest call in the world and had to play really tough. They played a really hard defensive game. They let one goal in on a penalty, and that was it.”
Brownlee thought her team controlled possession, and answered Franklin’s physicality by actually being the more physical team. Given Murphy wasn’t at full strength, it was a positive result, and still enough to make some school history in the process.
“I’m excited for the kids,” Brownlee said. “We’re not going to hang our heads about a tie. It’s a good way to end the week. We go into the break and we want to go positive and a tie is a positive against a 3A school.”
The Lady Bulldogs will take the week off for spring break. They dive back into Smoky Mountain Conference play with a trip to Highlands on Tuesday, then a home match against Cherokee two days later.