Above, bottom right: Greyson Downes leads the celebration after his goal putting Staples on the board and in the lead.

It was a beautiful fall afternoon on Monday at Wakeman Field, as the Staples Wreckers earned a hard-fought 2–1 win over Darien. The game was anything but easy, with Darien sitting deep, defending in numbers, and looking to threaten through set pieces.

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ABOVE: In a match where inches can make the difference, Darien’s keeper is barely beaten by Downes’ shot fired on goal.

Staples started brightly, controlling possession and showing patience in the buildup despite Darien’s compact low block. The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Greyson Downes finished calmly after a clever assist from Lucas Alarcon, giving the Wreckers a well-deserved 1–0 lead.

Wreckers Soccer fans line the fence, closely watching the intense action on the pitch as the Wreckers fought the Blue Wave in the CIAC match..

Gabe Duque was brought down in the box in the 2nd half earning a penalty that he confidently converted himself to make it 2–0 Staples.

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.

Darien battled back in the second half and pulled one back from a set piece, setting up a tense final stretch. Their goalkeeper produced several big saves to keep them in the game, but Staples showed maturity and discipline to see out the result and secure all three points.