With one game left on their regular-season schedule, the Richmond Kickers seized sole possession of first place in USL-2 with a 1-0 victory over the Wilmington Hammerheads last night. The Kickers, who came into the game tied with Wilmington for the lead, got a goal in the 55th minute from midfielder Joey Worthen and the third consecutive 1-0 shutout by goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale, who registered his eighth shutout of the season.

A frantic second half included three goals in eight minutes, but it was the Kickers who came out on the losing end, falling to the Wilmington Hammerheads 3-2 last night on the road. Forward Matthew Delicate scored for Richmond midway through the second half, but by that point, Wilmington had built a two-goal lead on scores from Jamie Franks and Phil Hofstrader. After Richmond’s goal, Andriy Budnyy added an insurance goal for the Hammerheads.

Second-half goals by Joey Worthen and Matthew Delicate lifted the Richmond Kickers to a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace Baltimore last night at Maryland-Baltimore County Stadium. The triumph improved the Kickers’ record to 8-2-5 and enabled Richmond to maintain its share of first place in USL-2. Worthen lifted the Kickers out of a scoreless tie with a goal in the 61st minute. The goal, Worthen’s second of the season, was set up by a corner kick by fellow midfielder Mike Burke. Worthen, waiting at the near post, punched a header past Baltimore goalkeeper Brian Rowland.

Once again, the Richmond Kickers were fit to be tied. Despite playing with a one-man advantage for the final 35 minutes of the second half, the Kickers settled for an unsettling 1-1 stalemate with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in last night’s USL-2 professional soccer match at UR Stadium. “The goals will come. I’m not worried about that,“ said Kickers forward Joey Worthen. “The thing is, we’re letting a lot of points get away, and we can’t keep doing that—especially when we’re playing at home.“

Nine of the 20 players on the Richmond Kickers’ roster were competing elsewhere in 2008. Introductions are still being performed. Well, in a manner of speaking. That the Kickers are a conspicuously talented group is readily apparent, said coach Leigh Cowlishaw. But until they successfully blend new instincts and abilities with old, Cowlishaw said, on-field success could prove elusive. Richmond needed a penalty kick in the 50th minute to earn a 2-2 tie with Harrisburg in last weekend’s USL2 opener.