Alabama Drops SEC Showdown with Ole Miss

Friday, October 7

Oxford, Miss.

7:00 p.m

Alabama

6-4-2 (0-3-2SEC)

Ole Miss

9-3-0 (4-1-0SEC)

Ole Miss

Alabama Drops SEC Showdown with Ole Miss

10/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Soccer

Box Score

Friday, October 07, 2005

Hayley MacDonald

Box Scores

OXFORD, MISS. -- Ole Miss' Chrissy Strini scored two first-half goals Friday night to lift the Rebels past the Alabama Crimson Tide 3-0.

Strini put Ole Miss (10-3, 4-1 SEC) ahead at 11:46 when she received a pass from Austin Brown then broke away from the Alabama (6-4-2, 0-3-2 SEC) defense on the left side of the box and beat goalkeeper Kara Gudmens for the 1-0 lead.

Fourteen minutes later, Strini converted an Ole Miss penalty kick and the Rebels lead was 2-0.

From there, Ole Miss' offensive pressure kept Alabama from mounting a consistent offensive threat of its own. Amy Bayles would add another goal late and the Rebels held on for the 3-0 win.

"It's extremely disappointing that this team didn't show up to play tonight," Alabama head coach Don Staley said. "Ole Miss capitalized on three mistakes but I was more disappointed by our lack of effort, disorganization and inability to communicate. This team, in order to be successful the rest of the season, will have to find a way to win without starters and listen to the instructions that have been laid out in front of them."

The match was one of the more physical matches for Alabama this season. Four fouls were committed in the match before either team was able to get off its first shot and the two teams combined for 22 fouls in the contest, 11 each.

Alabama created the first scoring opportunity of the match with a corner kick at 6:21, but Hayley MacDonald's shot went high. Little did Alabama know that would be its only shot of the first half.

After MacDonald's miss, the Rebel pressure increased and kept Alabama off the offensive attack for the remainder of the half. Alabama didn't manage another shot until Kylie Boyd fired one wide of the net at 49:40. The Tide only managed two shots the rest of way and four in the match. It marked Alabama's lowest shot-output of the season.

Early in the second half Alabama had its best opportunity to score. With three shots in an 8:00 span that included UA's first shot-on-goal from Libby Probst, it appeared as though Alabama had found something it could attack. But Ole Miss quickly turned the Tide back.

Sunday the Crimson Tide will look to claim a victory on the road as it travels to Starkville, Miss. to battle the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 1 p.m.