The Richmond Kickers avenged last weekend’s home opening loss to the Charleston Battery in dramatic fashion with a 90th minute goal by defender Sascha Görres to send the visitors home with a 2-1 victory, their first win at Blackbaud Stadium since 2004.
Charleston midfielder Nicki Paterson gave the Battery an early lead with a 19th minute tally that carried the home side through the first half until Kickers midfielder Stanley Nyazamba leveled the score on a penalty kick in the 65th minute.
Paterson’s goal broke the ice in the 19th minute, when Ryan Richter intercepted the ball at midfield and carried it down the right flank. He played a square pass across the top of the box to an onrushing Paterson who one-timed a 20 yard shot into the upper 90.
The Kickers nearly struck back three minutes later when defender Henry Kalungi delivered the ball into the mix from the right side, finding Jason Yeisley in the air, but the big forward’s header sailed just over the crossbar.
Later, Paterson attempted to double the score when Jose Cuevas won the ball deep inside the box. He quickly cut it back to Paterson, positioned at the penalty spot, but his low driven shot from point blank range glanced just wide of the target.
Before the halftime whistle, the Kickers looked for the equalizer when midfielder Luke Vercollone lofted the ball into the box, but a well-positioned Ryan Heins could not direct his header past the awaiting Battery goalkeeper.
A change in momentum early in the second half saw the Kickers pull level when Vercollone drew a foul in the penalty area following a missed clearance in the 65th minute. Nyazamba stepped up to the spot, seconds after entering the match, and calmly slotted the ball into the left corner for his second goal against the Battery in as many games.
Minutes later, Paterson carried the ball through the midfield and played it wide to Richter on the right side of the box. Pascale was forced into action when Richter fired from a difficult angle, clearing the ball over the endline just in time.
With the final whistle looming near and the scoreline deadlocked at one apeice, Görres settled the ball 30 yards out and fired a last-ditch effort on frame. Taking a deflection off a Battery defender, the looping ball left goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra grasping at air as the ball nestled into the right corner of the net.
Box Score First Half Second Half Final
Charleston 1 0 1
Richmond 0 2 2
Scoring Summary
19th minute: Charleston – Nicki Paterson (Ryan Richter)
65th minute: Richmond – Stanley Nyazamba (Penalty)
90th minute: Richmond – Sascha Görres
Lineups
Battery: GK Andrew Dykstra, Mark Wiltse (Taylor Mueller – 45’ (JC Mack – 89’)), Colin Falvey, Kyle Hoffer, John Wilson, Ryan Richter, Jose Cuevas (Zach Prince – 77’), Amadou Sanyang, Tony Donatelli (Sean Flatley – 84’), Nicki Paterson, Charlie Romero
Kickers: GK Ronnie Pascale, Henry Kalungi, William Yomby, Sascha Görres, Shane Johnson, Mike Callahan, Luke Vercollone (Nozomi Hiroyama – 87’), Jason Yeisley, Ryan Heins, Gerson dos Santos (Stanley Nyazamba – 63’), Matthew Delicate
Shots Saves Fouls Corners
Kickers: 9 Kickers: 2 Kickers: 9 Kickers: 7
Battery: 5 Battery: 3 Battery: 11 Battery: 3
Cautions:
61st minute: Colin Falvey (Charleston)
79th minute: Stanley Nyazamba (Richmond)
81st minute: Mike Callahan (Richmond)
Ejections:
None
Referee: Skye Arthur-Banning
Assistant Referees: Agostino Minasola and Dustin Thorne
Fourth Official: Howard Ash
Attendance: 4,729
Weather: Partly cloudy, 70º