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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MONTEVALLO – The Montevallo Bulldogs had to work hard for it, but they found the breakthrough that they needed to late in the first half to lift themselves past the Northside Rams.

Allison Huerta’s goal off a breakaway in the 39th minute helped Montevallo break a scoreless tie and pave the way for a 2-0 win on Tuesday, April 8 to sweep the season series against the Rams, putting the Bulldogs in control of their own destiny for the No. 2 seed in Class 5A, Area 8.

The game didn’t have many chances in the opening stretch as both teams sought to defend the final third. Montevallo got a solid shot off in the 10th minute, but Northside made a diving save on the left side to stop it.

After each team had an unsuccessful corner kick over the next 10 minutes, Gloribel Sanchez tried another chance at the Rams net in the 23rd minute that went right to the keeper.

Zabdy Perez nearly created a big chance in the 34th minute when she put a ball skill on a defender to win a duel atop the box before picking out Violeta Cervantes in the far post. However, the two couldn’t quite link up on the cross.

While Montevallo struggled to make the final pass to create chances in the first half, all it took was one counter-attack to flip the match on its head.

With one minute left in the half, the Bulldogs won the ball back in the attacking third and got the ball to Huerta, who fired a shot past the charging keeper into the far side of the net to score the breakthrough goal and take a 1-0 lead into the break.

That goal opened things up for Montevallo to play more direct to begin the second half with the momentum firmly in its favor.

The most notable early chance came in the 44th minute when the Rams saved a shot directly at the keeper, but the ball bounced off the gloves and nearly into a threating place before Northside handled the chance.

Montevallo also notably had to clear out a breakaway in the 50th minute to preserve the shutout.

Then, in the 64th minute, Mallory Diaz teed up a free kick from about 30 yards out and sent the ball perfectly into the box on the right side of the goal. While no Bulldogs were at the end of the cross, the Rams were, and one of the defenders stuck her leg out to try and clear it.

However, the ball went right into the back of the net for an own goal to double Montevallo’s lead to 2-0.

That effectively ended the game as Northside continued to have no answers on the offensive end. Perez had a shot saved in the 70th minute, but the Bulldogs otherwise saw out the area win.

Montevallo will continue area play on Thursday, April 10 at 5 p.m. against the Shelby County Wildcats at Papa McCombs Stadium in Columbiana. A win there and in the Bulldogs’ penultimate area game against Sipsey Valley would clinch a spot in the playoffs.