Recap: Kickers Fall to Chattanooga at City Stadium

RICHMOND, Va. — (Saturday, October 24, 2020) — The Richmond Kickers (8-6-2) fell at home to Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (6-5-4) Saturday night at City Stadium. Greg Hurst put the visitors up in the 57th minute. Oalex Anderson scored his second goal in as many matches to level the score in the 64th minute. Mark Hernandez scored the winner for Chattanooga in stoppage time.

Eight minutes into the match Akira Fitzgerald needed to make a stop. Ricardo Ruiz played in an outswinging pass into the Richmond box. Greg  Hurst managed to get a foot on the ball as Fitzgerald palmed it away from goal. 

Wahab Ackwei came away with a big block in the 24th minute to keep the visitors off the board. Ricardo Zacarias was working the left wing with no real options. He squared a pass for Greg Hurst at the top of the box. Ackwei got in front of the shot to make the block and eventually clear it from danger. 

The Richmond keeper was put to work again in the 29th minute with a point blank save. Josue Soto found Ricky Ruiz making a run in behind the Richmond backline. He got to the endline to get a cross into the box. Hurst again looked for a one-time effort that was denied by Fitzgerald. 

Mutaya Mwape forced a save from Alex Mangels in the 36th minute. Mumbi Kwesele noticed Mwape making a run in space up the right side. The Zambian continued his run before trying to sneak in a shot at a tough angle. Mangels came away with the grab.

A long range effort in the 41st minute was once again stopped by Fitzgerald. After Soto laid the ball off, Zacarias looked to try his luck from about 25 yards out. Fitzgerald knocked it down and then pounced on the loose ball before Hurst could get to the rebound. 

Chattanooga struck first in the 58th minute. Conor Doyle picked up control of the ball inside the center circle, taking one touch to play the ball through for Greg Hurst to run onto. He got a touch around Fitzgerald as he was coming off his line and put his shot into the net for the goal.

Richmond responded six minutes later from Oalex Anderson. Ryley Kraft floated in a free kick that came out to Matt Bolduc on the left wing. Breaking away from his defender, Bolduc found the opening to whip in a cross. Anderson was there with no one to stop him for his match tying header. That was his second goal in as many matches to pull the Kickers level. 

The Kickers nearly jumped ahead in the 78th minute. Luke Pavone played a pass short to Bolduc as he was looking like he was making a run towards the right wing. He then cut back across the top of the Chattanooga box, launching a shot that Mangels needed to save.

The Red Wolves took the lead again in second half stoppage. Jason Ramos got control of the ball in front of the Chattanooga bench. He sent in a cross as Mark Hernandez made a near post run, getting a foot on the ball to slide it past Fitzgerald.

With the result in the Union Omaha match, the Kickers have been eliminated from contention for the USL League One Final. 

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