LAURINBURG — It was a bittersweet feeling for the Fighting Scots, who defeated the Seventy-First Falcons 1-0 on Tuesday.
The Scots improved their record to 2-1, their best start since 2022, but the record and performance don’t tell the full story of how lackluster Tuesday’s performance was.
Scotland battled tooth and nail against a Falcons team that entered 0-2 and had won just 26 games over the previous five seasons. From poor finishing and defensive breakdowns to poor passing and a lack of discipline, you name it, the Scots did it.
“It’s nice to be 2-1, but we have to play better, too many mistakes, not being aggressive and not playing up to our skill level,” head coach Jeremy White said. “This should have been a mercy-rule, and it’s rough in a game where we put together a performance like this.”
Still, Scotland can hold its head high, as in back-to-back seasons they’ve broken the mold of what prior Scots soccer was. Last season, Scotland won seven games, its most since 2015. This year, they open the season above .500 at 2-1, their best start since 2022.
“It’s great for the team; we’ve gotten the chance to experience winning and love the history we’ve made for this program. We want to keep this momentum going,” White said.
Scotland will be on the road Wednesday at 6 p.m. in a rematch against South View.