Punctuality was rewarded at City Stadium on Saturday night, as the Richmond Kickers scored the game's lone goal in the third minute then hung on to defeat last-place Antigua in a USL PRO match.
Shaka Bangura had the goal for the Kickers, who were playing their fourth game in nine days. Goalie Ronnie Pascale made a handful of clutch saves late to protect the 1-0 victory.
"Thankfully, the crazy schedule has come to an end," coach Leigh Cowlishaw said. "They've done a remarkable job to win so many games under such trying conditions, and I'm proud that they were able to hang on."
Things got heated in the second half as Antigua voiced complaints about home cooking from the officials, and not the Southern hospitality kind.
A handful of players from each side got feisty after that, with Antigua's Christian Ranja leading the charge. He argued an offsides call that went against his team, then was given a yellow card a couple minutes later for a vicious sliding tackle of Luke Vercollone.
Ranja also represented Antigua's best opportunity for the equalizing goal, as he found himself alone 10 yards from the net in the second half. Pascale made a sprawling save to deny the chance.
Bangura's early strike was assisted by Edson Elcock. Elcock executed a crisp pass from just in front of the goal line on the far side that found its way to Bangura's foot.
With Antigua (7-12-1) fighting for its playoff life, Cowlishaw knew the second half wouldn't be easy, though he was hoping for an insurance goal that would allow the team to drop into a more defensive stance.
"I think we probably could have scored another one, and it would have been easier with that," he said. "But I think the tired legs came in the second half."
The Kickers played a doubleheader last weekend followed by a U.S. Open Cup victory in Kansas City on Tuesday.
They also were playing the first half without their leading scorer, forward Matthew Delicate, who is fighting through a hamstring injury.
He got a reprieve from the searing heat of the opening minutes, then entered in the 66th minute after the stadium had cooled. He nearly put himself on the score sheet with a shot in the 76th minute that was stopped by the crossbar.
The action was tense to the end, and even though Antigua has lost seven straight, that didn't stop it from staying competitive. The original source of the tension was a yellow card given to Harvey Christopher in the 43rd minute, though it appeared that he had held his ground while David Bulow ran into him.
With the victory, the Kickers (10-5-3) pick up three points in the American Division standings, enough to push them past Charleston for second place, though they trail first-place Orlando by a pair of wins. Six games remain in the regular season.
"We're in great shape," Cowlishaw said. "We've got to continue to push Orlando. We need to make them earn the regular-season championship, and the only way to do that is to keep winning."
He said that he'll give his team a two-day breather before conducting three practices later in the week, the first time the Kickers have been able to have three straight workouts in more than a month.
Antigua
0
0
—
0
Richmond
1
0
—
1
R: Bangura assisted by Bulow, 3:00
Saves: Ronnie Pascale (Richmond) 6; Keith DeCastro (Antigua) 4
Corner kicks: Richmond 6, Antigua 3
A: 1,871
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement