RailHawks dump Rochester, 1-0
April 18, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release
CARY, N.C. - Immediately after taking a hit to his right shin early in Saturday's match against Rochester, Carolina forward Sallieu Bundu wasn't sure he would be able to continue playing.
But the Sierra Leone international gritted his way through the discomfort, and the decision to do so paid off for both he and the RailHawks.
Bundu redirected a Josh Gardner cross in the 53rd minute into the back of the goal, and it held up as the game winner in the RailHawks' 1-0 victory over the Rhinos. A crowd of 3,427 at WakeMed Soccer Park witnessed Carolina's first win over the Rhinos in six all-time meetings, and it's also the first time in franchise history the RailHawks have won back-to-back home matches.
"We could've scored a couple more goals again, but ultimately, that's two games into the season and we've gone 2-0," said Carolina coach Martin Rennie. "That's good. The RailHawks have never beaten Rochester, and we really deserved that one."
Carolina owned a 12-8 advantage in shots and had a number of chances before Bundu knocked one in. Rochester goalkeeper Scott Vallow had a lot to do with keeping Carolina off the board early, as he made four saves.
Carolina counterpart Caleb Patterson's evening was pretty light early, but he was called on late to preserve his clean sheet. He finished his first start of the season with five saves, none bigger than his stoppage-time stop on Kenney Bertz's blast seconds before the final whistle.
The match was intensely physical, too. In addition to 22 fouls, nine cards were issued, including three red. Rochester's Danny Earls was sent off in the 56th minute and John Ball was ejected in the 90th. Carolina defender Devon McKenney saw yellow twice, with the latter leading to his ejection in the 84th minute.
After a frustrating first half where Carolina outshot Rochester 6-2 and had eight corner kicks, the RailHawks went on the attack right from the second-half kickoff.
In the 47th minute, Bundu laid a ball off to Gardner, and he smacked a left-footed brace at the far post, but Vallow tipped the shot wide.
A minute before Bundu's goal, Daniel Paladini was one-v-one with Rochester goalkeeper Scott Vallow. Paladini's shot beat Vallow but clanged off the near post.
"When you're on top like that, you just want to emphasize the same things so you keep doing the same things. At halftime, I said the goals would come," Rennie said. "And I thought more goals would come, but one's all you need."
In the 53rd minute, following a Luke Kreamalmeyer corner kick, the RailHawks kept possession in Rochester's end. Gardner collected the ball outside the box and carried it to the endline. He flung a low cross through the box, and Bundu redirected it at the near post for his first goal of the season.
"That's what I needed," Bundu said. "I needed a goal to start the season, and the second half I said, 'God, please let me score my first goal.'"
For the second straight week, the RailHawks had the run of play and lion's share of scoring opportunities, but their finishing touch hasn't quite developed yet.
In the 19th minute, following a Gardner corner kick, the ball came out to Paladini, who crushed a shot from 20 yards. Somehow, Rochester's Vallow kick-saved the shot the seemed destined for goal.
Two minutes later, Carolina's Amir Lowery spotted Kreamalmeyer streaking toward the back post and played him inside the six-yard box. But Vallow again made the stop, turning away Kreamalmeyer's header from just a couple yards away.
The RailHawks and their supporters thought they had a goal in the 37th minute. After forcing a turnover deep in Rochester's end, Bundu played through Brian Plotkin, but Plotkin was offside and the referee's assistant had his flag up before the ball left Plotkin's right foot.
But as Rennie reminded his charges at the intermission, the goals would come. Though multiple goals were not produced over the final 45 minutes, the one goal the RailHawks did score led to multiple points in the USL First Division table, which Carolina remains atop.
"It's good we left with three points," Kreamalmeyer said. "We could have scored a couple more maybe - 3-0 and I would have been happy - but just keep getting three points. That's all that really matters."
USL First Division Stories from April 18, 2009
- Aztex First USL-First Division Appearance Ends With a 1-1 Draw Against the Thunder - Minnesota Thunder
- Austin Aztex FC Manage 1-1 Tie in USL-First Division Debut - Austin Aztex
- Miami FC Opens 2009 with Vibrant Victory - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- City Stars Drop 3-1 Decision To Miami FC - Cleveland City Stars
- Hudock records second shut-out as Battery ties Impact - Charleston Battery
- Impact Tie Charleston on the Road - Montreal Impact
- RailHawks dump Rochester, 1-0 - North Carolina FC
- City Stars Add Five In Time For Tonight's Season Opener - Cleveland City Stars
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