Eldin Velic has had his share of goal scoring and celebrations. He led South Warren in scoring as a freshman and is off to a hot start this season. He even jumped into the stands to celebrate with his student section after a goal at Bowling Green last month.

Perhaps his response was a heat of the moment, but if you ask the sophomore about his favorite goal, he’ll tell you it happened in overtime Thursday night.

“It’s the most important one,” Velic said. “It was a clutch one.”

Velic was indeed clutch for South Warren against Greenwood by scoring both goals for the Spartans in a 2-1 overtime win Thursday.

The talented forward scored with six minutes left in regulation to tie the match, then tapped in the golden goal 2:30 into overtime.

“It feels amazing,” Velic said. “We never gave up and just fought. Greenwood is a good team, but we battled through.”

The win keeps South Warren (7-1 overall, 3-0 District 14) atop the district standings. The Spartans have won five straight since a draw and loss in the Lexington Soccer Showcase.

“We’re going really well and I like what we’re doing,” Spartans coach Tom Alexander said. “We do a lot with pattern play and do a lot of stuff trying to find our runs and when we’re all clicking and all on the same page, we’re really good.”

Greenwood (4-2, 3-2) has lost two straight in games that went to overtime or penalty kicks. The Gators lost to Warren Central on Aug. 28 in two rounds of penalty kicks.

Despite South Warren outshooting Greenwood 7-4 in the first half, the Gators midfield and back line held strong in a scoreless first half.

Hunter Hawkins scored the first goal six minutes into the second half on a one-touch laser with his left foot 30 yards from in front of the net.

Hawkins, the Gators’ leading scorer, left the game a few minutes later with a leg injury. From that point forward, it was a Spartans onslaught.

Greenwood never got another shot off the rest of the way and the Spartans kept attacking with possession. After Hawkins’ goal, South Warren had three shots on goal until Velic’s tying score with 6:02 remaining.

“The last six minutes of the game, they just kept on the pressure and it has to give in,” Greenwood coach Luis Llontop said. “The best defense is offense. We kept them off defensively when we attacked, then once Hunter got injured … it’s a huge gap. It’s hard to substitute those guys when they come out.”

Orlando Gil broke free with the ball across midfield and had a two-on-one connection with Velic against Greenwood goalkeeper Drew Loiars. The Gators’ keeper bit on Gil, who fed the ball to Velic in the right corner for the equalizer.

Velic put on another shot in regulation that deflected off the left goal post just two minutes before overtime.

The Spartans maintained that pressure in extra time, and Velic capitalized on a pass from Anatoli Emina for the game-winner inside the box.

“He’s always dangerous,” Alexander said. “Any time he’s inside the box, all he needs is a touch and he can finish from there and that’s what he did. It was a touch pass from a defender and he had the shot.”

South Warren hosts Henderson County at 11:30 a.m. Saturday before two district games next week against Warren East and Warren Central. Greenwood will host Marshall County at 10 a.m. and Graves County at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.{&end}