Louisville City FC played one of its most dominant halves of the year to open Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. But despite a flurry of quality chances, the club had work to do in the second half.
“When you leave yourself with that one goal,” said coach James O’Connor, “you’re not really sure what will happen.”
On three occasions this year, LouCity conceded a goal after the 70th minute. That the boys in purple held off Pittsburgh by a 1-0 score, registering three points away from home, is a testament to improvements.
Still, players would rather the outcome be locked in before the final whistle.
“I think we’d take a little bit of pressure off if we’d put another one in early in the second half or even late in the first half,” said midfielder Brian Ownby. “It didn’t happen, but I think the mindset was great. Even though we didn’t score again, we didn’t break. Tim (Dobrowolski) made some incredible saves to keep us in it.
“They were putting us under some pressure, but I thought we dealt with it well.”
LouCity has managed a 4-1-3 record — third best in the USL’s Eastern Conference, and with games in hand — by totaling eight goals in as many games. Five goals have been conceded heading into a week off from USL play.
LouCity returns May 31 to play a U.S. Open Cup game at FC Cincinnati before traveling to meet the East-leading Charleston Battery on June 3.
Ownby cited improved communication on defense in Pittsburgh after the clean sheet.
“I could hear everyone talking to each other to help each other out, even if it was little things like ‘left’ or ‘right.’” he said. “In the end, that kind of helped, because there have been games when we haven’t communicated. Opponents wear us out, and then they might get a goal late.”
Dobrowolski, off his second Save of the Week win, defended three shots on target in the second half. His efforts made up for the high volume of LouCity shots that could have hit the back of the net but for various reasons didn’t make it by Pittsburgh’s keeper.
Two nice crosses in were headed away by Riverhounds defenders with LouCity players in the vicinity. Midfielder George Davis IV grazed a defender on a shot in the area. A late LouCity attempt bounced off the only thing in the way of the goal — a teammate.
“We’ll work on being more ruthless in the final third — scoring and putting teams away,” said left back Oscar Jimenez. “We had chances in the first half that we could have done that. If we do it, it doesn’t make it as hard on us at the end there.”
