Matinee Match Results in 3-0 Loss for Wilmington
July 14, 2016 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Wilmington Hammerheads FC News Release
Bethlehem, PA - Thursday afternoon, Bethlehem Steel FC welcomed the Wilmington Hammerheads to Goodman Stadium for their second encounter of the season.
Wilmington and Bethlehem currently sit one seed away from one another, representing ninth and tenth place. Head coach Mark Briggs stated before the match, "We are hoping for a win today, but both teams are closely talented."
Bethlehem's #45 James Chambers started the home team quick on the offense, with a close corner kick in the 4th minute. Following shortly, in the 5th minute, Bethlehem's #44 Ryan Richter took a free kick, finding #35 Derrick Jones, who put it just over the net. Already heading into the 6th minute of the first half, Bethlehem had two close opportunities to score, setting the tone for the match.
Bethlehem dominated the first quarter of the half, keeping the ball in Wilmington's defensive end, where they continually tested goalkeeper, Eric Ati.
Despite Wilmington's efforts, #40 Joshua Heard scored Bethlehem's first goal of the match in the 28th minute. After an attempted dive by Ati, Heard's shot landed in the right corner of the net. After Heard's goal, the Pennsylvania team continued to control the ball. In the 31st minute, Chambers fired a shot hitting the right post deflecting across an open net. Jones brought Bethlehem to a 2-0 lead in the 42nd minute, wrapping up the first half action.
Coming off of a challenging first half, Wilmington fought back, starting the second half with a little more energy. In the 50th minute, #19 Jeff Michaud crossed the ball to #22 Kyle Parker with a header inside the 18 only to be saved by goalkeeper #27 John McCarthy.
As Wilmington continued to search for their groove, an accidental assist by Wilmington in the 53rd minute resulted in Bethlehem's #37 Gabriel Gissie's goal; bringing the match to 3-0.
Bethlehem found Wilmington on an off day, walking away with a 3-0 win. Only two yellow cards were given throughout the game; one to Bethlehem in the 66th minute, and one to Wilmington in the 87th.
Coach Briggs stated, "It's extremely disappointing to lose to a team we could have competed so closely against. We have to work harder than we have all season to reach a playoff position now." He continued, "We return home to prepare for our match against the number one team in our division. We've got a challenging weekend ahead and need to bounce back quickly."
Don't miss Wilmington's next home game, THIS Sunday, July 17th at 6:00pm at Legion Stadium. Fans please note, the game time has changed from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. All tickets purchased before this time change will be honored. Come cheer on Wilmington as they take on Louisville City FC! Call 910.777.2111 or visit wilmingtonhammerheads.com to purchase your tickets today.
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