The Tamaqua boys soccer team figured out a way to flip the script on Marian.

It was simple: Play defense from end-to-end — all 80 minutes.

Thursday’s contest was unlike the first meeting against the Colts, in which the Blue Raiders let a three-goal lead slip through their legs in the final four minutes before suffering a crushing loss.

Not this time.

Tamaqua pressed the Colts from the middle of the opening half right up until the final buzzer, taking a 4-0 decision.

“The big difference we were up three – 6-3 – with four minutes left, and they tied it and won in overtime,” Tamaqua head coach Jim McCabe said about the last time the two teams played each other. “It was a simple play by them, and a mistake by us. We made some adjustments. The first game we were jabbing too much at the ball.”

There were no jabs, just some good old-fashioned foot work, keeping the ball on their feet. Plus, the Blue Raiders were passing with sharp, clean movement.

Tamaqua seized a 1-0 lead in the first half when Brody Schlier hit the back of the net with 5:55 remaining in the half. It was a big boost, McCabe pointed out, because it provided confidence.

“Yeah, we knew they had the ability to come back, but we looked sharp and very intense,” McCabe said. “We played smart. When we got the ball on our feet, we got the ball to the others on their feet.”

Pass, pass, pass. Tamaqua was fixated on making that a point throughout the game.

Still, McCabe was mindful of Marian’s two heavyweights — goalkeeper Jacob Tom, along with left winger Edison Mitchell.

“Two and 10 were a big concern for us, they’re both quality players,” McCabe said.

The Raiders (3-9-1) had a strong late run in the first half, and out-booted the Colts 8-5. They also received sterling play in net from senior Nicholas Barron.

“We got a nice effort from (Barron),” McCabe said, who also pointed to freshman Aiden Elston. “He’s come along for us.”

Indeed he has.

Elston drilled home the third Tamaqua goal at the 23:29 mark of the second half. Before his score, Aiden Schlier — brother of Brody — popped in the first of two goals, lifting his team to a 2-0 lead at the 27:40 mark of the second half.

“Once we got that second goal, you could see our confidence level rising,” McCabe said.

Leading 3-0, Aiden Schlier and Elston hooked up for the final score at the 5:06 mark of the second half. Schlier recorded the goal and Elston registered the assist.

“We were not ourselves,” Marian mentor Joe Tracy said. “I think we lost a lot of our confidence … we’re coming off a loss to Blue Mountain, and now against Tamaqua we just didn’t seem ready to play.”

BY THE NUMBERS … Tamaqua had a total of 14 shots, with five corners and nine saves. Marian took 11 shots, two corners and had eight saves.

FLIPPING IT … Tamaqua’s defense staved off an early charge that Marian mounted. The Colts (3-9) were taking the pitch to their side of the field and looked more the aggressor through the first 20 minutes.