Battery Run Riot in Richmond, Four Different Goalscorers in 4-Nil Win
USL Charleston Battery

Battery Run Riot in Richmond, Four Different Goalscorers in 4-Nil Win

Published on May 16, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


RICHMOND, Va. - The Charleston Battery dominated the Richmond Kickers in a convincing 0-4 road win in Round 2 of the Prinx Tires USL Cup Group Stage on Saturday at City Stadium. The match was the 65th meeting all-time between the 1993 clubs, but the first since 2018. Four different goalscorers contributed to the Battery's win: Langston Blackstock and Colton Swan in the first half, and Miguel Berry and Jeremy Kelly in the second half. Goalkeeper John Berner notched his first shutout of the year, as the Battery took the lead in Group 6 of the USL Cup.

The nationally televised evening kicked off amid perfect conditions in the mid-80s at City Stadium. Charleston nearly broke open the game in the 8th minute when Jeremy Kelly connected with Langston Blackstock, unmarked in the box, but Blackstock's free header went over the crossbar.

Blackstock had his moment of redemption in the 20th minute when he found the perfect angle to put the Battery ahead, 0-1. Kirill Pakhomov sent in a long ball from his own half that gave Blackstock a one-on-one opportunity against goalkeeper Yann Fillion. From there, Blackstock navigated past Fillion and placed his shot just inside the far post from a near-impossible angle.

The goal for Blackstock was his first of the year, and for the Battery, and the assist was Pakhomov's first of the year.

Charleston nearly added to their lead moments later, but Blackstock's shot in the 27th minute was saved by Fillion.

The Battery struck again in the 40th minute when Colton Swan sliced through the Richmond defense and doubled their lead, 0-2. Miguel Berry played Swan from the edge of the byline, and Swan cut into the box with a nutmeg and sublime finish that beat Fillion at the near post.

Swan's goal was his sixth across all competitions in 2026, and his first in USL Cup play. Berry's assist was his first of the year.

Richmond attempted to pull one back before the break, but goalkeeper John Berner made a pair of saves in the final five minutes of the first half to ensure the hosts stayed off the board.

Charleston took the 0-2 lead into halftime, with the Battery outshooting the Kickers, nine to two, and holding roughly 64% possession.

Play resumed for the second stanza with Charleston aiming to carry their momentum from the first half and seal the three points.

Charleston kept their foot on the gas pedal, and this time Miguel Berry cashed in to make the score 0-3 in favor of the visitors in the 69th minute. A cross into the box by Douglas Martinez initiated the threat, which led to a shot from Maalique Foster that was saved. However, the parried ball fell right to Berry at the edge of the six-yard box, who summarily buried the ball into the net with authority.

Berry's goal was his second of the year and of the USL Cup.

Not done yet, the Battery made it 4-nil just moments later when Kelly put his name on the scoresheet in the 73rd minute. Swan released Foster with a through ball, and Maalique cut a pass back to Kelly, who sent his first-time strike into the net.

Kelly's goal was his first of the year, and Foster's assist was his second.

On the other end, Berner had a relatively routine second half and did not have to make a save after the intermission.

The 0-4 scoreline held firm into the final stages of the match and the Battery secured all three points in Round 2 of the Group Stage over their fellow 1993 rivals.

With the victory, Charleston ascended to the top of Group 6 with six points on two wins, one point ahead of Charlotte Independence.

The Battery's win in the 65th all-time meeting between the sides improved Charleston's record against Richmond to 29-27L-9D in the fixture. It also marked the Battery's first victory at City Stadium since September 2016.

Goalkeeper John Berner notched his first shutout of the year after making three saves. It is the Battery's third clean sheet of 2026.

Graham Smith led the game with 11 duels won, in addition to three clearances and two tackles won.

Miguel Berry chipped in one goal and one assist, his first game with two goal contributions since joining the Battery, and making him the club's top scorer in the USL Cup so far.

Jeremy Kelly recorded a match-high three tackles won and four chances created, along with his goal in the 73rd minute.

Douglas Martinez, who entered the game after halftime, co-led the game in interceptions (three).

Head Coach Ben Pirmann and forward Miguel Berry discussed the win after the final whistle, with key quotes to follow.

Coach Pirmann on what was working well tonight...

I think the first thing, straight off the get-go, was that our intensity needed to be huge. We needed to be willing to outwork Richmond in every phase of the game, mainly with the willingness to run behind, the willingness to get pressure on the ball, double down, win second balls, and then shift our lines defensively.

We knew coming in that Richmond were on three wins in a row, an incredible record in this stadium and cup games. They were playing for their lives in this tournament, so we knew, especially if you look at the other games in the cup this weekend, the League One teams had really punished the Championship teams, and we didn't want to be reactive, so we wanted to come out on the front foot.

I thought we were very good early, played the game in their half, and Langston had the header that just went over, Jeremy had the shot that went wide, and then we finally broke through. So, to be fair to our guys, they worked their socks off. They were passionate about the performance and doing the dirty work, and then they took their chances and played a complete game.

Coach Pirmann on having four different goalscorers involved...

I always say we're never really worried about who scores the goals. We want to make sure that we're creating chances. Langston got the start at right wing and had three great chances and some great crosses, and gained the end line, and he worked his socks off defensively. Miguel had a goal and assist, Colton not only scored, but he was winning the first contact on duels. Jeremy was Jeremy, and then Maalique and Wilmer came off the bench and were tremendous. So, when your attackers are hunting and your attackers have their tails up, ready to go, then they're going to get chances and hopefully finish them off.

Coach Pirmann on the importance of a second Group Stage win...

Yeah, it was huge. We saw the [Pittsburgh-Charlotte] result last night. We knew if we won, we were going to be top of the table. So, two road matches in the tournament, two victories, and now we know that we've got the other two teams in the division that are really playing well coming to our stadium.

So when we get back to the cup, on June 6, we play Pittsburgh. Then we'll refocus on it and go for all three points in that game. But now we put the cup aside, and now we're focused on New Mexico in the league next weekend.

Coach Pirmann on the defensive rigidity on display tonight...

I think if you look at it, Joey Akpunonu, Graham Smith, Sean Suber, they've been so tremendous all season. We put them in tough situations all year, and they just continue to do well at center-back. And then if you look at guys like Nathan Messer, Houssou Landry, Douglas and Langston, they've done really well. And then, our whole goalkeeping core has done very well.

So, shutouts are important. Defending is really important. You want to defend with the ball and without it. You definitely got to defend in transition. We've just got to keep getting a little bit better in those areas, whether it's duels, whether it's defending the depth and behind, because we always are aggressive, we always want to attack, but then sometimes we want to make sure we're buttoned up defensively as well.

Coach Pirmann on the traveling support at City Stadium...

I met some of the fans before the game and saw them in the stadium, and we just really appreciate them being at the game and driving the six hours to be here. It was awesome to see them there, and we appreciate the support.

Berry on the overall performance in the victory...

I think we've worked as a group in the last few weeks. We've kind of pieced together some things, we're moving more as a team, and I think we're also moving off of each other well. I think we scored a few goals in that way. It's nice that we've been putting work in for four or five months now, and it's starting to pay off, and I think we're getting a new stride here.

Berry on the momentum provided by the win...

On the outside, you may say, 'Oh, we're playing a League One team, it's not league play,' but in reality, it can become sort of a trap game. It's hard to play away from home, long travel, and the field is dry, and this and that. But, I think for us to still put out a performance like this and come to play, and not let any excuses get in the way of a good performance, is telling of the team and where we're trying to go.

I'm proud of the group, happy for the group, and excited to play again next week. And can't wait to get back home eventually and play another at Patriots Point.

Charleston hit the road for their next match, against New Mexico United on May 23. The Battery's next home game will be on Sat., May 30, against Detroit City FC for Military Appreciation Night at Patriots Point. Tickets for the match are on sale now via SeatGeek.com, the club's exclusive digital ticketing provider.

Lineups:

RIC: Fillion, Anderson (Howell, 70'), Barnathan, Layton, Murana, Espinal, Seufert, Sasankhah (Amer, 71'), O'Malley (Gallegos, 85'), Johnson (Moore, 70'), Pannholzer (Richman, 85')

CHS: Berner, Messer (Martínez, 46'), Suber, Smith, Blackstock (Foster, 62'), Pakhomov, Ycaza, Kelly (Cabrera, 74'), Berry (Akpunonu, 74'), Houssou, Swan (Wayne, 74')

Scoring Summary: CHS - Langston Blackstock, 20' (Kirill Pakhomov)

CHS - Colton Swan, 40' (Miguel Berry)

CHS - Miguel Berry, 69'

CHS - Jeremy Kelly, 73' (Maalique Foster)

Check out the Charleston Battery Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 16, 2026


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