Kickers Secure 3 Points at Home with 1-0 Win over Westchester
USL1 Richmond Kickers

Kickers Secure 3 Points at Home with 1-0 Win over Westchester

Published on May 1, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond Kickers earned a thrilling 1-0 victory over USL League One foe Westchester SC on Friday at City Stadium. Richmond capitalized early and then dug in defensively to secure a hard-fought win over Westchester SC.

Josh Kirkland's opportunistic goal in the 14th minute proved to be the difference, as the Richmond no. 9 scored off a pair of rebounds to provide the advantage. Goalkeeper Yann Fillion and the Richmond backline delivered a standout performance under pressure, recording their first clean sheet in USL1 play. Key goal-line clearances from Lucca Dourado and multiple Fillion saves preserved the clean sheet and sealed a 1-0 victory at City Stadium.

Westchester SC was led by Dean Guezen who recorded four shots on the evening.

Breaking Down The Action

A Mujeeb Murana throw-in led to a sequence of chances, with Josh Kirkland ultimately finishing into the top corner after multiple rebound attempts in the 14th minute to put the Kickers in the lead, 1-0.

Westchester broke through one-on-one, but Yann Fillion came off his line and made a strong stop at the top of the box in the 19th minute.

Lucca Dourado entered the match for Kirkland in the 30th minute.

Dourado drove into the box and put a shot on target in the 38th minute, but the Westchester goalkeeper tipped it out.

Westchester's corner resulted in a header toward goal in first half stoppage, but Dourado cleared it off the line to preserve the lead going into halftime.

Richmond led 1-0 at the break.

Westchester earned a corner, but Fillion rose up to stop the play before a shot could develop in the 53rd minute.

Nils Seufert took a shot that struck the post in the 56th minute.

Fillion made a save on a shot from the top of the box and followed it with another diving stop on the rebound in the 67th minute.

Austin Amer came on for Owen O'Malley in the 72nd minute.

Westchester threatened off a corner, but Dourado made another goal-line clearance in the 78th minute.

Fillion made a save off a Westchester corner to keep the clean sheet intact in the 84th minute.

Richmond secured a 1-0 win over Westchester SC.

Notable Numbers

1: Yann Fillion recorded his first clean sheet in USL1 regular season play.

5: Yann Fillion totaled five saves on the night.

6: Richmond tallied six shots on goal in the match.

7: Saturday marked Richmond's seventh match at City Stadium this season.

10: Captain Dakota Barnathan is playing in his 10th professional season and fifth as a Richmond Kicker.

34: 2026 marks the Kickers 34th continuously operating season.

4609: Richmond played in front of 4,609 fans.

Series History

With the result, Richmond now holds a 2-0-2 record all-time against Westchester SC.

The two clubs last faced each other on September 3, 2025, with Richmond claiming a 2-0 at The Stadium at Memorial Field.

Josh Kirkland has now scored three goals across four matchups with Westchester SC all-time.

Darwin Espinal scored three goals against Westchester SC across three matchups last season.

Up Next

The Kickers take a roadtrip to South Carolina challenging Greenville Triumph SC on Saturday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on CBS 6.3 and ESPN+ with live updates and links available at richmondkickers.com or @RichmondKickers on X (Twitter).

Check out the Richmond Kickers Statistics

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United Soccer League One Stories from May 1, 2026


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