After an even first half, the Grantsville Cowboys connected with the back of the net twice in the second to take a 2-1 win over the Carbon Dinos Thursday afternoon in the first round of the 3A Playoffs.
The Dinos were able to add a goal with just two minutes left in regulation to make it interesting. Ryan Atwood connected from just outside the 18-yard box for his fourth goal of the year. Sam Loveland’s header with just under a minute to play nearly found the back of the net that would have sent the game to overtime.
Grantsville and Carbon went into halftime at 0-0. The Cowboys scored their first goal barely two minutes into the second half and added another after a scrum in front of the net just after the midway portion of the second half. The goal was scored after an alleged handball, but after two of the three referees conferred the goal was allowed to stand.
Carbon finishes perhaps its best-ever season winners of nine games, the most since Deseret News began tracking soccer standings in 2001. The home playoff game was the second-straight year the Dinos have hosted a first round playoff game.
