by guest reporter Dave Valitis

If you are breathing, you can play. Pioneers were so desperate to field a starting eleven, that serious consideration was given to recall recent quintuple bypass recipient Ken Marshall to bolster the depleted ranks.

With the Pioneers' midfield absent, two with upcoming surgery, one working and one somewhere in the Atlantic, a shuffle was in order.

The Pioneers survived the first 20 minutes relatively unscathed, with Polonia having most of the play. A defensive error led to Polonia's first goal, a perfectly crossed ball to the far post where a Polonia forward outjumped Pioneer defenders to head home from a few yards out. The Pioneers could only muster a couple of shots in the first half. Halftime 1-0 to the visitors.

Being outplayed but only being one down, Pioneers came out in the second half somewhat optomistic, coming close to scoring on two occasions.

Polonia playing some nice football grabbed a second goal at around the hour mark, a diagonal cross which was missed by the first defender, the first attacker and kneed in from six yards out by an unmarked Polonia forward.

Short of striking options, coach Mogul turned to supersub Gary Byrne in hope he could replicate the scoring prowess that earned him his nickname, but alas to no avail. Final score, Pioneers 0 Polonia 2.