A Viking domination turned into a Zephyr uprising, but Daniel Petruno’s goal for Allentown Central Catholic in the 71st minute proved to be the game winner in the Vikes’ 5-4 soccer victory over Whitehall on Monday night at Whitehall.

“I just got the ball in the middle, and my first instinct was to just go to the goal. It’s 4-4, and we didn’t really have a good second half, so my first instinct was to help my team and get a goal, so I just dribbled, got open, and got the shot away,” Petruno said. “It felt great, and I’m just happy we got the win. We’ve been working really hard, and I think we deserved the win. I think we came out sluggish in the second half, but we really fought, and that’s the kind of team we are.”

Central had a 3-0 lead at halftime on two goals by Maks Komperda and one by David Werel, all within the first 20 minutes of play.

But it was a brand new game early in the second half when Eddie Saloum and Zach Onsinyo scored within 37 seconds of each other to put Whitehall back in the match, 3-2.

“I dropped it back to Valentin (Lezcano), he gave me a perfect through ball, and then it hit off the goalkeeper and hit off my chest and went in the goal,” said Onsinyo.

Central forward John Peters put the Vikings two steps ahead with a goal in the 53rd minute, but Annes Saloum’s header off a corner kick brought the Zephyrs back to within one.

Whitehall then found the back of the net off of one of Landon Kromer’s many perfectly placed free kicks when Gio Mazzola tied the game in the 58th minute.

“We sent a lot of raucous, so Landon was serving them perfectly right up in the air to the far post. It bounced around, came right to me, and I sent it in,” Mazzola said. “The coach got us fired up at halftime, and we had more organization in the midfield. We talked more, looked over our shoulders to see where Central was open, and we squeezed them more so they didn’t have much time with the ball.”

Mazzola challenged Viking keeper William Conway one last time in the final minute, but Conway’s save prevented an almost certain tie.

“I was thinking I gotta come out and stop the ball and do what I do so it doesn’t go into the net,” Conway said. “My defense was very helpful today and stepped up for my lack of communication, and didn’t allow the ball in the box. I think the whole team played very well today, but Whitehall came out in the second half and showed us what they really got.”

Whitehall first-year head coach Christian Malone is intent on making the Zephyrs as strong a first-half team as they are a second-half team.

“What we need to do is put two halves together. It’s hard against a good opponent to handicap yourself 3-0 and then claw yourself out as admirably as we did in the second half. We simply wanted it more,” Coach Malone said. “It’s tough, but thankfully it’s only the second game in the season, so we’re going to look to fix these first-half woes.”

Malone did express concern about an injury sustained by Oscar Vasquez in the first two minutes of play on Monday night after rolling his ankle where the turf meets the track.

“He’s an extremely important player,” said Malone. “It happens, but it’s very hard to lose a starting center midfielder.”

Vasquez’s updated condition was unknown at press time.

Whitehall will host Emmaus, and Central will travel to Parkland on Friday.

Said Mazzola, “Heads up and move to the next game.”