Consistent. Not pretty, not perfect, consistent. 

That’s the type of play the Colorado Springs Switchbacks need in the home stretch of the season. 

The players delivered just that as the club scored twice in the second half to earn a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Monterey Bay F.C. at Weidner Field. 

From the opening whistle, Colorado Springs sought to get new striker Kyle Vassell going. The Englishman, who joined the team on Aug. 20, scored 14 goals in the USL Championship in 2022. On Saturday, he had his first opportunity for a score two minutes in.  

Midfielder Yosuke Hanya set up Vassell in the 18-yard box, but his shot was deflected out of bounds. Colorado Springs (8-8-6) and Vassell created several chances in the opening half but couldn’t finish them.

The club’s consistency paid off, however, as Vassell netted the game-winner in the 63rd minute. Defender Akeem Ward sent a pass into the box and Vassell won the ball from a defender, juked Monterey’s keeper and put the ball into the back of the net. 

“Especially the first goal always takes a weight off your shoulders. I’m sure now those goals will flow, as I said, I was really frustrated with myself in the first half. I had a really good chance and I should have hit the target at a bare minimum,” Vassell said. “I think the boys know what I can do. They see it in training, and so they want to feed their striker, and I think all good teams do that.”  

Despite the Switchbacks’ attacking prowess in the opening half, the guests scored the first goal. In the 40th minute, Monterey Bay midfielder Luke Ivanovic maneuvered past a pair of Switchbacks defenders and sent a cross to forward Tarik Scott, who scored on his second shot after securing his own rebound off the first. 

Defender Tyler Clegg was one of the players beaten on the play. He responded by scoring the equalizer in the 56th minute. 

Clegg blasted a shot from more than 30 yards out, curving the ball into the near side of the net. 

“I just see what kind of space the other team’s given and I take it,” Clegg said. “Luckily, I was able to find some space going forward, and I saw my opportunity to take it. And all through my life, I’ve been able to hit a long shot pretty well so I just thought, ‘Why not give it a shot?'”

For the second straight week, the Switchbacks bounced back from a subpar first half with two second-half goals. The club would of course prefer to be dominant for the full 90 minutes, but with eight games remaining in the season after Saturday’s match, a win and three points is all that matters. 

“This is football, especially at the end of the season. They needed to win today. It’s high-pressure games now. So I think the most important thing is winning. It doesn’t really matter how,” Vassell said.

Having made the most of a two-week homestand, Colorado Springs will head to Tampa Bay next week.