The majority of the men and women playing soccer on the Johnston Fog over-30 team have been watching their children play soccer for Johnston Lightning for many seasons. But over the past 10 weeks the spotlight was on the parent, and this past Saturday night they competed in their playoffs at Teamworks in Warwick.

Fog co-manager Dan Robbins said the team’s record was 5-4-2 going into the playoffs, placing them fourth in the standings out of eight teams. He also said for many of the men and women this was their first season playing soccer.

The Johnston Fog faced off against the Wild Things team in the first match-up; the contest was only 25 minutes long instead of the usual 40 minutes. Johnston's Tom Connell, who has been scoring goals all season, scored the first goal and the second; no newcomer to the game, he said he has been playing soccer since the age of 6.

The two goals Connell blasted by the Wild Things goalkeeper were enough to put Johnston ahead, as goalkeeper Paul Brazenor held the Wild Things to a single goal. The final score was Johnston 2, Wild Things 1.

The Fog's next challenge was against the Middle Age Maniacs. Tight control of the soccer ball was the name of the game for both teams in the second playoff contest. Bobby D'Angelis sank the Fog’s first goal, but the Maniacs answered back with two of their own.

Johnston was not trailing for long as Spence Ingram stepped up, scoring the second goal for Johnston. The Maniacs got a third goal past Brazenor, however, giving them the lead they needed to knock the Fog out of the running.

Robbins, who is also on the special events committee for the Johnston Lightning Youth Soccer Organization, said this coming Saturday Johnston Lightning soccer will have a Family Fun Day from 10:30-4 p.m. at the new soccer complex behind Johnston High School.

“The event will have a dunk tank, moonwalk, kick-athon, soccer challenges and raffles,” he said.