PHOTO GALLERY: Goal That Wasn't Costs Wildcats

Trailing 1-0 with less than 30 seconds to play on Monday, Wilmington's offense finally found its form and blasted the ball perfectly into the upper left corner for the game-tying tally. The only problem was that it didn't count.

The referee ruled that Wilmington was offsides by half a yard, and the whistle sounded as the ball floated through the air. As a result the score remained the same until the final whistle and the Wildcats left North Intermediate School with a 1-0 setback.

Head coach Steve Scanlon said he didn't agree with the call, but also said he knows his team wouldn't have been in that position if they hadn't allowed a preventable goal less than five minutes into the game.

"In a game like that, you're giving the nod to the offense on that," said Scanlon. "I don't know how you can tell the half yard."

Scanlon's charges dropped to 3-6-1 on the year with the loss, despite playing tough teams like Winchester closely. 

The team's offensive output has plagued the Wildcats to this point, an area that Scanlon said must improve.

"If you don't shoot," he said, "you're not going to score and you can't win games."