Scotland’s Hiroto Inamura (8) and Richmond’s Alex Medina (6) jostle for the ball during Wednesday’s game.
                                 Neel Madhavan | Daily Journal and Laurinburg Exchange

Scotland’s Hiroto Inamura (8) and Richmond’s Alex Medina (6) jostle for the ball during Wednesday’s game.

Neel Madhavan | Daily Journal and Laurinburg Exchange

<p>Richmond’s Jesus Castro (4) passes the ball backwards, while Scotland’s Drew Hamilton (3) defends.</p>
                                 <p>Neel Madhavan | Daily Journal and Laurinburg Exchange</p>

Richmond’s Jesus Castro (4) passes the ball backwards, while Scotland’s Drew Hamilton (3) defends.

Neel Madhavan | Daily Journal and Laurinburg Exchange

<p>Scotland’s Nick Eury (19 blue) and Richmond’s Hector Castro (19 white) jostle for the ball during Wednesday’s game.</p>
                                 <p>Neel Madhavan | Daily Journal and Laurinburg Exchange</p>

Scotland’s Nick Eury (19 blue) and Richmond’s Hector Castro (19 white) jostle for the ball during Wednesday’s game.

Neel Madhavan | Daily Journal and Laurinburg Exchange

LAURINBURG — After two postponements on back-to-back days due to poor field conditions resulting from the onslaught of rain in recent days, the Richmond and Scotland varsity boys’ soccer teams finally faced off for the first time this season Wednesday night.

Utilizing the middle of the field, the Raiders (4-2-1) scored three first half goals and three second half goals to beat the Fighting Scots 6-0.

“We played that ball over the top once or twice and had some success with it so we kept going back to it,” said Richmond head coach Chris Larsen.

With how wide Scotland (2-4) was playing, Larsen said they were able to use the space that created in the middle.

“Traditionally we try to get the ball wide and kind of get it back in, but that space was open in the middle and I thought (junior forward) Luke (Williams) did a good job with his speed to beat them,” Larsen said.

Scotland head coach Blake Dickerson said the Scots typically have solid play in the middle, adding that “lack of drive” was the reason for the issues they had defending Richmond across the middle of the field.

“We didn’t play possession like we know,” Dickerson said. “I don’t think it was a strategic issue. I don’t think it was our positioning or plugging people in the right place. It was honestly just not wanting to work hard.”

Dickerson said miscommunications hurt the Scots.

“We started off great, I heard a lot of chatter out there, a lot of talking in the first 10-15 minutes, but then it all just tapered off,” Dickerson said. “

Junior midfielder Alex Medina finished with two goals and two assists to lead the Raiders. Senior midfielder Hector Castro also scored two of the goals, while Williams and junior forward Justin McDonald also each tallied a goal.

Notching their second straight clean sheet defensively, Larsen said the defense is starting to play together more as a unit.

“They were working the ball around,” Larsen said. “We dropped it back a few times to kind of create a little bit more space, and being able to do that and maintain possession created a little bit more room to work with than they’re accustomed to.”

Despite Richmond controlling most of the possession early, Scotland had the better of the early chances with two low shots grazing just left of the far post.

The Raiders netted their first goal in the ninth minute on a through ball that split Scotland’s backline on a counterattack. The ball deflected off Scotland goalkeeper senior Blake Wood as he tried to collect it and a low shot put the ball away.

Richmond’s second and third goals came in the 31st and 39th minutes, respectively, on counterattacks.

Scotland’s best chances of the game came inside of 10 minutes left in the first half. The Scots came close in the 33rd and 34th minutes, with the first being a volleyed shot from inside the penalty box that cleared just over the crossbar and the second coming off a free kick that was headed into Richmond goalkeeper senior James Ammons’ outstretched arms.

The Raiders’ three second half goals came over a seven-minute stretch from the 45th minute to the 52nd minute. The first came from an awkward bounce of the ball and a miscommunication between Wood and one of the Scots’ defenders.

Dickerson said Wood thought the ball may have been a pass back from the defender, which he’s not allowed to pick up, and the ball rolled into the net before he could clear it.

“It was just a simple error,” Dickerson said. “You can’t be mad at that. That stuff happens. He didn’t understand that it was a deflection and that he could touch it because it came off the foot.”

A Richmond penalty kick goal in the 48th minute made it 5-0 after a late Scotland tackle in the penalty box. A few minutes later, the Raiders scored their sixth and the final goal of the game.

Both teams are set to play again Thursday night, with Richmond hosting Purnell Swett and Scotland travelling to Jack Britt, but the impending weather forecast for Thursday casts a shadow of doubt on whether or not those games will be able to be played as scheduled.

Richmond JV squad tops Scotland 3-0

The Richmond junior varsity boys’ soccer team beat the Scotland junior varsity boys’ soccer team 3-0 Wednesday night.

The Raiders scored two goals in the first half, and netted the third goal in the final minute of regulation time in the second half.

Reach Neel Madhavan at 910-817-2675 ext. 2751 or [email protected]. Follow on Twitter at @NeelMadhavan.