[12/11/02}A couple of well-placed shots helped Clinton score two goals in the second half Tuesday night and the Arrows held off a feisty Warren Central team for a 2-0 win.

Matt Fulton headed in a long pass for Clinton’s first goal, and Justin Brent lifted a shot from 30 yards out over everyone to provide the clincher late in the second half for the Arrows, who outshot WC 17-7 in the game.

“Those were two of the prettiest goals we’ve had all year,” said Clinton coach Jeff Long, a former WC girls’ soccer coach.

Clinton (10-1-1) outshot WC 8-1 in the first half, but missed several opportunities to break the scoreless deadlock.

WC also had its chances, but was unable to convert. Alan Carlisle floated a long ball in front of the goal midway through the half, but no Vikings were able to get to it and it bounced harmlessly out of bounds behind the goal.

“You’re doing good, but you’re giving them too much time with the ball. A team like Clinton, they’re an outstanding team, there’s no doubt about it. If you give those type of players, with that much skill, time to do the things they can do, they’re going to eat you alive,” WC coach Jay Harrison said. “We were lucky in the first half, I think, to get out (0-0).”

Clinton finally broke the stalemate early in the second half when David McLaurin launched a ball toward the goal from midfield. It came down perfectly on the head of Fulton, who was just a few feet in front of the goal, and Fulton headed it in off the underside of the crossbar to give the Arrows a 1-0 lead.

“We sent the ball deep in the box and the keeper failed to come get it. Matt Fulton, who’s our leading goal scorer, just headed it and put it up in the corner nicely,” Long said.

WC had another scoring opportunity nullified when Dusty Pennington’s breakaway with 24 minutes to play was halted by an offsides call.

The Vikings took control of the game late, peppering Clinton keeper Alan Parker with four shots in the final 12 minutes, but they were unable to get anything past the junior goalie. One shot even slipped through Parker’s hands on a diving stop, but bounced wide of the goal and the Arrows gathered the loose ball.

Then, with about five minutes to play, Brent took a shot from about 30 yards out that was blocked by a Viking defender. Brent got the rebound and quickly lifted another shot that sailed over the hand of WC keeper Luke Sellers and into the net for the game-clinching goal.

(G) Clinton 3, WC 0

Clinton got goals from Lesly Melo, Nikki Bush, and Kendal Lee, and controlled the game from start to finish in claiming a win from Warren Central.

The teams are division rivals, but Tuesday’s game did not count toward the division standings.

WC actually outshot Clinton, 15-14, but the Lady Vikes had little sustained pressure. Melo scored on a breakaway 6 minutes into the game, and Bush tapped in a cross from Mallory Coleman 10 minutes later to give the Lady Arrows an early 2-0 cushion.