Charleston, SC. The Charleston Battery avenged two early season defeats by division rival, the Hampton Roads Mariners Saturday night, with a well deserved 3-1 victory. The win lifts the Battery to second spot in the Eastern Conference, Atlantic division, leap-frogging them over the Mariners, who until this evening led the division. Charleston improves to a record of six wins, three draws and two losses good for a healthy, 30 points. The Richmond Kickers lead the division by two points after they defeated the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2-1 in a game also played Saturday night.
It was a quick and decisive start for Charleston who opened the scoring in the 5th minute. Some delightful attacking play down the right flank resulted in a Charleston Battery corner kick. Temoc Saurez, the Bishop England alumni, whipped in nasty cross to the near post. Paul Conway, rose to meet it and with a superbly timed header, glanced the ball into the back of the net. 2,805 Charleston Battery fans rose in unison to applaud the goal.
The rest of the half consisted of flowing, attacking play from both sides. Hampton had a good opportunity in the 17th minute but Scrofani put Jair's cross just over the top. In the 26th minute, crowd favorite, Ivailo Ilarianov, got free on the right side just outside the penalty area. He took two touches and drove a spiraling shot towards the target. Fortunately for the Mariners the shot went straight through to the hands of goal-keeper, Jon Busch, who struggled to handle it, but then gathered it up. The half ended with the Battery holding a slender one goal lead.
The second half began right where the first left off. Both teams were playing well but Charleston seemed to have more purpose and were constantly on the attack. Against the run of play Hampton leveled the scores in the 68th minute. A well stuck corner kick was met expertly by substitute, Jacob Fenger, the ball ricocheted into the net past the despairing hands of Dusty Hudock. The next period of football was accented by crisp passing combinations and spirited defending. Unfortunately for Charleston it would also be defined by the loss of a key player. In the 80th minute Kevin Scott challenged a Mariner player for the ball and after the play ended was left prone on the deck. The Battery hero, broke his leg in the tackle and had to leave Blackbaud Stadium in an ambulance. Scott is expected to be out for several months.
With Scott gone, the Battery threw all their energy into the game. In the 83rd minute Charleston regained the lead and once again it was from a corner kick. Temoc Saurez drove the ball dangerously into the six-yard box. It bobbled for a moment, then Brent Sancho stepped up and hammered it into the back of the net.
The Battery delivered Hampton the coup-de-grace in the 86th minute and again it was Temoc Saurez who made the goal. His expertly weighted pass, split the Mariner defense in two, leaving Todd Miller free at the edge of the box with just the keeper to beat. Miller calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net, giving Charleston the 3-1 lead they would hold until the end. Next up for the Charleston Battery are the El Paso Patriots who come to the Baud for a 7:30 pm game on Friday June 23rd.
Charleston Battery Man of the Match: Temoc Saurez.
Line Ups: Battery: Hudock, Warham, Jean-Baptiste, Sancho, Miller, Spooner, Suarez, Cozier (Scott 72) (Woods 82)), Cloutier (Alvero 67), Ilarianov (Akin 28), Conway.
Mariners: Busch, Samuel, Branigan, Wygonik, (Dominguez 37), Checcio, Scrofani (Fenger 27), Clarke (Owens), Bailey, Jair (Lawrence 77), Martinez, Donnelly.
Shots: Battery 10, Mariners 13.
Saves: Battery (Hudock) 5, Mariners (Busch) 3.
Fouls: Battery 26, Mariners 15.
Offsides: Battery 8, Mariners 4.
Corners: Battery 4, Mariners 5.
Cautions: Battery, Sancho (30), Cloutier (52), Scott (80); Mariners, Scrofani (56)
Ejections: none.
Weather: Warm and muggy.
