Chris Corcoran and the Battery salvaged a point Sunday with a late goal
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Match Summary
Half 1
Half 2
OT 1
OT 2
Final
Charleston Battery
0
1
0
0
1
Miami FC Blues
0
1
0
0
1
Referee: Tony Russo Assistant Referees: Jeff Muschik, Chris Sculthorpe Attendance: 2,631 Weather: Wet 70 Blackbaud Player of the Game: Keith Wiggans
Sunday, May 7, 2006 - Charleston, SC Battery fights back to earn tie versus Miami
Armstrong's 90th minute PK keeps Charleston unbeaten Charleston, SC. The Charleston Battery came from behind Sunday night to tie Miami FC 1-1 in front of 2,631 at Blackbaud Stadium. Substitute midfielder Stephen Armstrong slotted home a penalty-kick in the 90th minute to salvage a point. Charleston remains unbeaten on the season and improves to 1-0-1, 4 points. Miami remains winless with a record of 0-1-2, 2 points.
The game was delayed for 1 ½ hours due to heavy rain and when it finally got underway conditions were extremely heavy. Despite this the Battery started brightly and created a good chance in the 4th minute when Gavin Glinton slipped a pass into the path of Luke Vercollone on the left side of the box. Vercollone took a touch but blasted his shot high.
Miami's first attempt came in the 23rd minute as forward Mario Rodriguez broke free twenty-yards out. His effort took a deflection on the way through and Wiggans saved the shot comfortably.
Four minutes later Miami mounted another attack, this time straight through the middle, with midfielder John Pulido. Pulido shot from twenty-five yards forcing Wiggans to make a second save.
Charleston created two good chances just after the hour-mark. In the 62nd Ben Hollingsworth latched onto the ball just inside the box. He fired a shot that beat Miami goalkeeper Chris Doyle but rebounded off the cross-bar. The ball came out to Glinton whose shot was blocked wide for a corner.
Following the corner the ball was again worked in to Hollingsworth at the apex of the six-yard box. He hit a spinning shot but it deflected behind off the goal-post.
Miami broke the deadlock in the 69th minute. Zinho held the ball up just outside the Battery penalty area. It looked as if he was going to shoot but he rolled a square pass to substitute midfielder Fabian Sandoval who drove a low first-time shot past Wiggans and into the goal.
As the end of the game closed in the Battery pressured looking for a tieing goal and in the fourth minute of time added on earned a penalty-kick after Doyle was adjudged to have brought down substitute midfielder Stephen Armstrong in the box. Armstrong froze Doyle on the line and tucked the ball into the right-hand corner of the goal.
The Charleston Battery is home again next Saturday night versus the Montreal Impact. Gates open at 6:30 PM kick off is set for 7:30 PM.
Scoring Summary
Goal (Assist)
Minute
Miami FC Blues
Sandoval (Zinho)
69
Charleston Battery
Armstrong (PK)
90
Team Summary
Charleston Battery
Players
Keith Wiggans, Shane Crawford, Chris Brunt, Mark Watson, Brandon Curran (Teba McKnight 80), Jeff Matteo (Lazo Alavanja 73), Omar Daley, Chris Corcoran, Luke Vercollone (Stephen Armstrong 77), Ben Hollingsworth, Gavin Glinton (Troy Lesesne 89)
Players
Chris Doyle, Allen Handy, Michael Erush, JP Rodrigues, Stephane Guillame, Walter Ramirez, John Pulido, Diego Walsh (Fabian Sandoval 64), Zinho (Pedro Power 89), Sean Fraser (Oscar Gil 64), Mario Rodriguez (Luc Harrington 89)
