GAME SUMMARY
Saturday, August 28, 2010 Blackbaud Stadium
Charleston Battery 2 (Neagle 26’, Fuller 52’)
Richmond Kickers 1 (Elcock 73’)
CHARLESTON, SC – The Charleston Battery claimed the 2010 USL Second Division Championship with a 2-1 victory over the Richmond Kickers on a balmy Saturday night at Blackbaud Stadium. A Battery-favored crowd of 4,523 saw their regular season champions take a two goal lead, courtesy of Lamar Neagle and Ian Fuller. An Edson Elcock goal in the 73rd minute gave the Kickers a fighting chance, but despite several close calls during stoppage time, the 2009 champions could not find the equalizer to push the match into overtime.
The long-time rivals battled in the midfield as they attempted to find their rhythms and calm Championship nerves during the first 20 minutes of play. With only five shots on the half, it was Charleston who struck first with a dangerous opportunity in the 24th minute. Midfielder Stephen Armstrong delivered an inswinger into the box from the right side. His well-placed cross found Neagle, who fed the ball through the box to an onrushing Tom Heinemann. Stretched out in an effort to get a foot on the careening ball, he could not get into position in time as the ball slipped harmlessly over the end line.
The renowned goal-scoring duo was not to be denied two minutes later as Neagle and Heinemann teamed up to make the best of the first corner kick of the half. Midfielder Mike Zaher served the ball into the mix, finding Fuller 12 yards out. He struck the ball through traffic, but it bounced around the fray before falling to a heavily marked Heinemann at the penalty spot. The forward fed a swift back-heel pass on to Neagle inches from the goal mouth and the USL-2 MVP made no mistake as he poked it over the line.
The physical contest abruptly stifled Charleston’s offensive efforts in the 29th minute, when they were reduced to 10-men due to a red card ejection to defender Colin Falvey. As Falvey wound up to play a long ball, Delicâte intercepted and broke through the back line. Through to goal, Falvey grabbed him from behind and brought him down just outside the box, leaving head referee Jose Carlos Rivero with no choice but to serve him a one-way ticket to the locker room, as he was the last defender.
The Kickers picked up the pace with the advantage and nearly leveled the score in the first minute of stoppage time. Görres served a determined cross into the box, finding Delicâte six yards out, but his header on goal was fired straight to the ‘keeper, leaving the Battery with a one goal advantage going into the break.
The home side opened the second half with the eventual game-winning goal when Zaher lofted the ball over the defense, finding a cluster of Kickers and Battery players at the top of the box. Kickers defenders struggled to settle the ball, allowing Heinemann to break free and flick it on to an open Fuller on the right side. With one touch, he fired a rocket to the far side netting as Pascale stretched to get his fingers on the close range missile but he could not stop the momentum.
With the Championship title still within reach, Elcock’s 73rd minute tally breathed new life into the Kickers attack. Streaking down the left wing, Görres delivered a perfectly placed cross to an unmarked Elcock stationed at the far post. Effortlessly, he buried a close range volley to put the defending champions back into the game.
With 10 minutes remaining on the clock, Charleston nearly added to the scoreline when second half substitute Levi Coleman beat his mark and lined up a wide open shot from 18 yards out, but Pascale was not fooled and leapt to keep the USL-2 crown in sight.
The 90th minute saw several opportunities to level the score fall just painfully short. First, in the final minute of regulation, Kickers midfielder Ross Mackenzie played a long ball into the box. Battery miscommunication allowed the ball to bounce behind the defense, leaving Elcock 1v1 with Melia. With his back to the goal, the Kickers lone goal scorer of the night struck a one-time volley that ricocheted off the crossbar before falling behind the target.
Soon after, Tiyi Shipalane caused a ruckus in the box as he scrambled through two defenders and faced Melia head on. The goalkeeper charged off his line to create a difficult angle and successfully blocked Shipalane’s effort.
The Kickers hopes of extending the 2010 season by 30 extra minutes were dashed in the final seconds of stoppage time. Defender Henry Kalungi launched a long ball into the box, only to have Melia punch it from harm’s away. The clearance was fortuitous for the Kickers as the rebound fell directly to the foot of their most lethal weapon, Delicâte, positioned within firing range 25 yards out. Executing a textbook volley that beat the rattled goalkeeper, Delicâte’s heroic last second chance was cleared off the line by Fuller to avoid overtime.
Box Score First Half Second Half Final
Charleston 1 1 2
Richmond 0 1 1
Scoring Summary
26th minute: Charleston – Lamar Neagle (Tom Heinemann)
52nd minute: Charleston – Ian Fuller (Tom Heinemann)
73rd minute: Richmond – Edson Elcock (Sascha Görres)
Lineups
Battery: GK Tim Melia, O’Brian Woodbine, Colin Falvey, John Wilson, Nigel Marples, Stephen Armstrong (Brandon Massie – 67’ (Yeniel Bermudez – 89’)), Alioune Gueye, Ian Fuller, Mike Zaher, Lamar Neagle, Tom Heinemann (Levi Coleman – 76’)
Kickers: GK Ronnie Pascale, William Yomby, Henry Kalungi, Sascha Görres, Dave Hertel (Tiyi Shipalane – 53’), Bobby Foglesong (Joseph Kabwe – 39’), Luke Vercollone, Gerson dos Santos (Ross Mackenzie – 80’), Mike Burke, Edson Elcock, Matthew Delicâte
Shots Saves Fouls Corners
Kickers: 12 Kickers: 0 Kickers: 11 Kickers: 6
Battery: 7 Battery: 8 Battery: 13 Battery: 3
Cautions:
79th minute: O’Brian Woodbine (Charleston)
83rd minute: Lamar Neagle (Charleston)
83rd minute: Mike Burke (Richmond)
88rd minute: William Yomby (Richmond)
Ejections:
29th minute: Colin Falvey (Charleston)
Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Assistant Referees: Eric Proctor, Jeff Muschik
Fourth Official: Skye Arthur-Banning
Attendance: 4,523
Weather: Clear, 84º
