CHARLESTON, SC - The hometown Charleston Battery, looking to rebound from a tough Mother's Day road trip in which they played to a 3-3 draw to the Raleigh Capital Express in Raleigh on May 12th got things off to a blazing start at Blackbaud Stadium on Saturday when in the fifth minute, Bulgarian Forward Ivalio Ilarinov raced into the Express box from the left side and delivered a sizzling cross to 1999 All-A-League striker Mac Cozier.
Cozier diving to the goal headed the ball into the net but before the Battery fateful can celebrate, the apparent first goal was disallowed due to an off-side call against the home team. Meanwhile, the Express were able to capitalize on their great chance at the twenty-seventh minute mark when former Battery defender Eddie Rodriguez, launched a free kick bomb from thirty yards out which hit the top right side cross bar as Midfielder Randy Merkel quickly heads in the rebound from six yards out before a shocked Battery defense to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The frantic pace continued in the second half as the Battery were able to tie the match at the fifty-fourth minute mark when Battery Forward Mac Cozier delivered a long ball from the right side forty-five yards out to a wide open Paul Conway as the veteran headed the ball over the out-stretched left hand of Express keeper Chris Lewis into the net to tie the match at one goal apiece. Eventually, the goal by Conway became the final goal of tonight's match. In the second stanza, the Battery dominated the time of possession controlling the midfield and demonstrating the ability to attack the Express defense but to no further avail. The best chance the home side had in the two overtime sessions occurred in the ninety ninth minute mark, when Paul Conway broke free on a breakaway into the right side of the box as Raleigh goalkeeper Chris Lewis tackles Conway on a charge resulting in a free kick. On the free kick, Midfielder Temoc Suarez lifts a high drive over the top left cross-bar thereby ending Charleston's best chance in the two ten-minute overtime sessions. With the 1-1draw, the Battery 3-1-2 with 15 points will try one again next Saturday May 27th to defeat the Express. The last Battery victory against a Raleigh squad was on June 5,1998 in a 4-1 Charleston win. The Battery has not defeated Raleigh in their last seven head-to-head matches.
Game Report by Herman Howard
May 20, 2000 1st 2nd/OT Final
Raleigh Capital Express 1 0/0 1
Charleston Battery 0 1/0 1
Scoring Summary:
Express: Merkel 27
Battery: Conway (Cozier ) 53
CHARLESTON BATTERY - Hudock, Sewell, Baptiste, Woods, Warham, Miller, Spooner, Polic (Alvero101), Ilarionov (Suarez 84), Conway, Cozier (Akin 59),
SHOTS:20 ; FOULS :16 ; SAVES:Hudock 4; CORNER KICKS:11 ; OFFSIDE:2; CAUTIONS: Spooner 30; EJECTIONS: None
RALEIGH CAPITAL EXPRESS-Lewis, Rodriguez (Ratzburg 69), McDermott, Edwards, (Mormon 86), Armas, Farris, O'Neill (Walker 45), White, Merkel, Dotsenko, Carithers (Garner 45)
SHOTS:8 ; FOULS :15 ; SAVES:1 ; CORNER KICKS:3 ; OFFSIDE:3 ; CAUTIONS: Edwards 38 ; Merkel 90; Lewis 99; EJECTIONS: None
Referee: Gregory Watson; Referee's Assistants: Ronnie Canales, Warren Woody, Michael Bice
Attendance: 4,470
Weather: Warm
Blackbaud Players of the Game: Dusty Hudock and Paul Conway
