LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville City FC ran its unbeaten streak in United Soccer League matches to 11 on Saturday night, but a stoppage-time goal by Wilmington Hammerheads FC spoiled the home club’s chance at a win.
LouCity walked away with a 2-2 draw coach James O’Connor called “disappointing” rather than a victory at Louisville Slugger Field when Wilmington’s Ashani Faircloud headed in a corner kick past the 90th minute.
“It’s infuriating to give a goal away at the end when you work so hard — you push through all those factors — and then with a minute to go we can’t head the ball clear,” O’Connor said. “I can’t describe how infuriated I am.”
Still, Louisville City hasn’t lost a match since an April 2 defeat to New York Red Bulls II, the club now chasing LouCity in the USL’s Eastern Conference standings. As of Saturday night, Louisville is 8-1-4 with 28 points. The Red Bulls are 8-1-3 with 27 points.
LouCity also had to deal with a Wilmington team in its best form of the season. The Hammerheads entered having strung together back-to-back victories for the first time in 2016.
Their late goal offset a pair of earlier scores by Chandler Hoffman, the LouCity striker now with 10 goals on the season, good for second in the 29-team USL. He scored Saturday by finishing on a cross from Mark Anthony-Kaye in the 41st minute before another cross in 48th from Kyle Smith.
The first, Hoffman celebrated by kissing a black armband with Muhammad Ali’s last name stitched into it, another tribute to the Louisville legend a day after his burial in Louisville. The second goal Hoffman scored under a giant banner of Ali draped in the east end bleachers at Slugger Field.
Going back to the game’s sixth minute, Hoffman had another goal nullified by an offside call.
Temperatures touched 90 degrees on a sunny night at Slugger, where Louisville City hadn’t played since May 14. The home club played from behind early once reigning USL Player of the Week Kyle Parker, unmarked at the far post, booted in a 17th-minute cross from teammate Jeff Michaud.
Hoffman’s heroics pulled LouCity even, then put coach James O’Connor’s team in front for most of the second half.
“We were up 2-1,” Hoffman said, “we come out, we’re all over in the first few minutes, we get our early goal — which is exactly what we wanted — then, I felt the same way. I felt they had all the ball in the second half, which is, if you watched us play all year, that’s not how we play or operate at all.
“We definitely need to get that sorted out because teams can’t come in here and have the ball. The way we play, we-high press and we keep teams from having the ball and tonight we didn’t do a good enough job in the second half.”
Slugger Field’s noise reached its peak when Niall McCabe lined up for a final corner kick at the far side of the field seconds after Wilmington’s equalizer. The Hammerheads managed to clear a ball into the box, leading to the final whistle.
“That last corner kick was the loudest the stadium was,” said LouCity defender Sean Reynolds. “I’m pretty sure people outside the stadium could hear our fans — all the horns, all the yelling, and we almost scored. When we’re at home, it’s nice to have that twelfth man behind us. It’s frustrating that we couldn’t get three points.
Summary
Match: Louisville City FC vs. Wilmington Hammerheads FC
Date: June 11, 2016
Venue: Louisville Slugger Field
Kickoff: 7:32 p.m.
Attendance: 7,761
Weather: Clear, 90 degrees
Man of the Match: Chandler Hoffman
Scoring Summary (1, 2, F)
LouCity (1, 1, 2)
Wilmington (1, 1, 2)
Goal Scoring Rundown
Wilmington (17′): On a corner kick nearly cleared by Louisville City FC, the Hammerheads regained possession and played the ball back into the box. Jeff Michaud crossed to Kyle Parker, who was unmarked on the far post for the first goal.
Louisville (41′): Mark-Anthony Kaye turned to avoid a defender a flipped a cross over another. Chandler Hoffman, just onside, headed the equalizer in before the half.
Louisville (48′): Chandler Hoffman this time connected with Kyle Smith, who played a cross into the box that deflected off a defender and then landed at Hoffman’s extended left leg for another one-touch goal.
Wilmington (90’+): Another corner, this one taken by the Hammerheads’ Mael Corboz, found the head of Ashani Fairclough in stoppage time for a late goal by the visitors.
Louisville City FC lineup:
13-Greg Ranjitsingh, 24-Kyle Smith, 5-Conor Shanosky, 15-Sean Reynolds, 20-Enrique Montano (75′ 6-Tarek Morad), 4-Aodhan Quinn (68′ 36-Paolo DelPiccolo), 8-Guy Abend, 11-Niall McCabe, 17-Chandler Hoffman (85′ 18-Paco Craig), 77-Andrew Lubahn (71′ 9-Cameron Lancaster), 12-Mark-Anthony Kaye (59′ 10-Magnus Rasmussen)
Subs not used: 1-Scott Goodwin, 14-Ilija Ilic.
Head coach: James O’Connor
Wilmington Hammerheads FC lineup:
Wilmington: 1-John Smits, 4-Michael Mecham, 3-Peabo Doue, 47-Ashani Fairclough, 23-Bruno Perone, 6-Liam Miller, 10-Justin Moose (84′ 18-Stefan Defregger), 7-Austin Martz (71′ 11-Qudus Lawal), 22-Kyle Parker (76′ 12-Casey Townsend), 8-Mael Corboz, 19-Jeff Michaud (81′ 9-Matthew Barnes-Homer).
Subs not used: 0-Sam Williams, 14-Logan Miller, 2-Tom Parratt.
Head coach: Mark Briggs
Stats Summary: LouCity / Wilmington
Shots: 9 / 10
Shots on Goal: 4 /4
Saves: 2 / 2
Corner Kicks: 4 /6
Fouls: 6 / 12
Offside: 2 / 4
Officials
Referee: Greg Dopka
Assistant Referee 1: Caleb Riley
Assistant Referee 2: Johann Pedolzsky
4th Official: Paul Terry
