From USL/Pittsburgh Riverhounds Reports
Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2 Richmond Kickers 1
RICHMOND, Va. (May 23, 2015) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds demonstrated their playoff credentials Saturday with a gutsy 2-1 win over the Richmond Kickers at City Stadium.
Early goals from Lebo Moloto and Miro Cabrilo had given the Hounds a comfortable lead before veteran Kickers striker Matthew Delicate halved the deficit shortly after the interval.
A late barrage ensued as Richmond peppered long balls toward Delicate and strike partner Jason Yeisley. Former Hound Yeisley came closest to restoring parity when his header struck the base of the post with 15 minutes remaining.
Pittsburgh advances to a 3-3-3 record and 12 points in the USL’s Eastern Conference with its first away win of the season. Richmond (4-2-4) remains on 16 points after a first home loss.
Brian Ownby had given the Kickers an early lead at Highmark Stadium last weekend after a defensive miscue by the Hounds. He should have repeated the feat on five minutes after more slack play by Pittsburgh’s back line.
Tyler Pasher collected Ryan Thompson’s throw under immediate pressure from George Davis IV. The Richmond forward stole possession before teeing up Ownby for what should have been a routine finish from eight yards. Ownby scuffed his shot wide of Thompson’s far post.
The Hounds retaliated with a 15-minute spell of clinical forward play that produced a two-goal lead.
A flowing move on 12 minutes saw Rob Vincent collecting a long cross-field pass from Kevin Kerr on the left wing. Pasher’s overlapping run allowed Vincent to step inside and send a dangerous inswinging ball toward Richmond’s back post.
Cabrilo’s knockdown found Moloto with his back to goal. The South African playmaker rolled Kickers defender Hugh Roberts on the 6-yard line before tucking a left-foot shot past goalkeeper Travis Worra.
Former Robert Morris University forward Cabrilo notched his second goal of the season on 18 minutes to finish another sweeping Hounds move. Kerr and Matt Dallman combined on the right flank with the former arching a perfect cross over Worra into the center of the goalmouth. Cabrilo rose above his marker to nod the ball into a vacant net.
Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw made two changes before halftime in a bid to pep up his offense. Englishman Delicate emerged to lead the line along with Yeisley as Richmond focused on a direct style.
Pittsburgh’s propensity for conceding soft goals surfaced on 56 minutes to gift Richmond a foothold in the game. A slack turnover in midfield allowed the Kickers to spring Ownby down the left side. Willie Hunt missed his sliding tackle on the former Houston Dynamo man leaving Ownby cut the ball back for Delicate to convert from six yards.
Ownby should have tied the game on 68 minutes. Yeisley’s knockdown found the former Pittsburgh loanee in space eight yards out. The 24-year-old Virginian dragged his second open look of the night wide of the target.
Pittsburgh’s precarious grip of the game survived its biggest scare on 75 minutes when the aerially dominant Yeisley sent his header crashing against the base of the Thompson’s near post.
The Hounds return to action Wednesday night when the Tampa Bay Rowdies visit Highmark Stadium in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
All tickets cost $5. Click HERE to buy online via Ticketmaster.com or call the Highmark Stadium box office on (412) 325-7241 to speak to a representative.
Scoring Summary:
PGH – Lebo Moloto 12 (Miro Cabrilo, Rob Vincent)
PGH – Miro Cabrilo 18 (Kevin Kerr, Matt Dallman)
RIC – Matthew Delicate 56 (Brian Ownby)
Misconduct Summary:
RIC – Fred Owusu Sekyere 24 (Yellow)
PGH – Kevin Kerr 26 (Yellow)
RIC – Samuel Asante 35 (Yellow)
PGH – Lebo Moloto 83 (Yellow)
RIC – Travis Worra 89 (Yellow)
Line-ups:
Riverhounds – Ryan Thompson, Tyler Pasher, Anthony Arena, Willie Hunt, Matt Dallman, Danny Earls, Stephen Okai (Drew Russell 71), Rob Vincent, Kevin Kerr, Lebo Moloto (Amara Soumah 87), Miro Cabrilo (Mike Green 62)
Richmond Kickers – Travis Worra, Stephen Basso, Braeden Troyer, Hugh Roberts, Alex Lee (Ricky Burke 85), Samuel Asante (Yudai Imura 40), Fred Owusu Sekyere (Michael Callahan 71), Nate Shiffman (Matthew Delicate 40), Brian Ownby, George Davis IV (Eli Garner 77), Jason Yeisley