COLLINSVILLE - Evan Moore's goal after 78 minutes was the difference as Edwardsville defeated Collinsville in a very close match 2-1 in the Southwestern Conference opener for both sides Tuesday evening at Kahok Stadium.
The match between the Tigers and Kahoks was as close as it could be, and that Edwardsville came away with the three points on the road was a very good result.
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"It was a real challenge tonight," said Edwardsville head coach Mark Heiderscheid. "I think Collinsville is certainly a top team in our conference this year, and the game was played at a very fast tempo in a playoff atmosphere."
A large crowd gathered to watch the match, and the enthusiasm and support from the supporters gave a needed boost to the home side.
"We've had some good ones," Heiderscheid said, "and Collinsville's got some great fan support, and it really fired the kids up. They were ready to play."
Owen Logan scored in the 24th minute to put Edwardsville into the lead at 1-0, a goal that put momentum on the Tigers' side.
"The first goal was a great one," Heiderscheid said. "A great pass, and Owen Logan taps it in. A great quality goal."
Nathan Beck then took over, as the Edwardsville goalkeeper made several outstanding saves to keep the Kahoks at bay.
"And then, Nathan shows why he's one of the best keepers around," Heiderscheid said, "because he comes up with one or two big saves that he's capable of making that keeps teams in the game."
However, Dane Compton came up with the equalizer at the midway point of the second half off a corner to bring Collinsville level at 1-1, with Moore coming up with the big goal just before full time to give the Tigers all three points and a vital conference win on the road.
"At the end, Evan Moore is just such a great striker," Heiderscheid said, because he saw the ball and just put it in to make it 2-1. It's super exciting because of when it happens."
Edwardsville keeps its season opening record at 100 percent, now 4-0-0, and plays at Alton on Thursday night in a 6:30 p.m. kickoff. The Kahoks are now 1-2-1 and are at Belleville West on Thursday and Webster Groves on Friday. Things are going along well for the Tigers, and Heiderscheid knows that his team is playing well to open the season.
"The kids did a good job of locking it in and closing down chances, so good job," Heiderscheid said. "It's a good start in terms of results, so we'll see how it goes."
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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