USL Richmond Kickers

Kickers Defeat Harrisburg 3-2

Published on May 31, 2014 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


HARRISBURG, PA - The Richmond Kickers defeated the Harrisburg City Islanders 3-2 on the road Saturday night. End to end action saw midfielder Jared Jeffrey give the Kickers an early lead that they conceded early in the second half on a Morgan Langley equalizer before Matthew Delicate gave the visitors the advantage once again. A stoppage time own goal gave the City Islanders a brief reprieve before Kyle Porter tallied a last-gasp goal to send the road-weary Kickers home with three points.

The Kickers opened scoring inside the first 10 minutes when forward Jason Yeisley intercepted the ball in the midfield and combined with Alex Lee to spring Samuel Asante free deep on the right touch line. The swift midfielder sliced a cross into the box but was denied by a City Islanders defender. An awaiting Kyle Porter scooped up the rebound and laid it off to Taylor Kemp, rounding the left edge of the box. He squared the ball for Jeffrey at the top of the 18 who settled it and buried the first goal of the night.

Ten minutes later, Kickers midfielder Michael Callahan raced through the midfield, feeding the ball to Porter who whipped a cross to the far endline. Yeisley chased down the loose ball and kept it in play before laying it off to Asante at the top left corner of the box but his resulting right-footed curling shot rattled the crossbar.

The City Islanders quickly countered with their best chance of the half when midfielder Luann Silva latched onto the ball in the midfield and played Morgan Langley through the Kickers defense but his distance shot soared skyward.

Just before the break, the Kickers nearly doubled their lead when a heavily marked Porter split a pair of defenders and centered the ball at the top of the box. He flicked it on to an onrushing Asante who wound up a shot from 20 yards that forced Harrisburg goalkeeper Nick Noble to drop low to deny the last-second shot.

It took the City Islanders just 10 minutes after the restart to level the score when midfielder Jimmy McLaughlin tore through the midfield, eluding defenders and played a leading ball to Langley who beat his mark and made no mistake inside the left post.

The home side's celebrations were short lived as the Kickers regained the advantage in the 62nd minute. Goalkeeper Joe Willis distributed the ball out to Kemp on the left wing who carried it through the midfield before slotting a through ball to Porter. The forward served in a cross from the left side to the far post and connected with an onrushing Delicate who tapped it home from point blank range.

The back and forth affair continued into stoppage time when the City Islanders found the equalizer once again when midfielder Christian Hernandez drew a foul inches from the top of the box. The second half substitute whipped a cross into the swarming box searching for a scoring target at the back post but it was Kickers defender Hugh Roberts who redirected a missed clearance just inside the post for an own goal.

The Kickers immediately retaliated in the final minute of stoppage time when Vercollone collected the ball in the midfield and served a long ball to Porter on the left edge of the box who chested it down and blasted the last-gasp game winner into the far corner.

The Richmond Kickers return to City Stadium this Saturday, June 7 to host Ronnie Pascale Night and the Harrisburg City Islanders. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. and tickets are on sale now at RichmondKickers.com.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 31, 2014


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