BY ANDREW MILLER
Of The Post and Courier staff
CHARLESTON 2, CINCINNATI 0
MOUNT PLEASANT - Charleston coach Alan Dicks has been involved with soccer for 50 years and he had never seen a game like he saw Friday night against Cincinnati.
Paul Conway scored a goal and added an assist and Dusty Hudock recorded his fifth shutout of the season as Charleston blanked Cincinnati, 2-0, before a rain-soaked crowd of 2,535 at Blackbaud Stadium.
The Battery snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory and improved to 10-6-1 (45 points) in A-League competition this season. Cincinnati fell to 4-10-0 (18 points).
Despite winning the game, Dicks watched helplessly as the Battery missed not one, not two, but three penalty kicks during the match.
"I've never seen anything like it,'' Dicks said. "I've been playing or coaching soccer for more than 50 years and I've never seen one team miss three penalty kicks in one game. I've seen one, two missed in a game by both teams, but never one team miss three.''
The first of the Battery's three penalty kicks came just 90 seconds into the match. Conway, the team's all-time leading goal scorer, was taken down in the box and awarded a penalty kick.
However, Cincinnati keeper Brian O'Leary made a diving stab at the ball and stopped Conway's attempt.
The Battery was awarded its second penalty kick five minutes later after a Riverhawks player was called for a hand ball in the penalty box. Conway again took the penalty kick, but his attempt missed wide right.
"Someone told me that a guy in South America missed three in one game,'' Conway said laughing after the game. "At least I'm not the worst. I think being 31 years old helps me in those situations. Five years ago I don't know if I would have recovered and played as well as I did after that. I hope that's a sign of maturity. I've got confidence in what I can do and in scoring goals.''
Six minutes into the second half, the Battery got its third penalty kick of the game. This time midfielder John Ball took the shot, but he met with similar results as O'Leary made another diving save.
"Full marks go to their keeper,'' Dicks said. "I thought he was spectacular. It wasn't just the saves he made on the penalty kicks. He was solid the whole game. It could have very easily been a three or four-nothing game in the first half.''
Dicks said he was pleased at how the team recovered after the missed penalty kicks.
"It was kind of the old reverse psychology for us after those first two misses,'' Dicks said. "We're dominating. We're in their half and we're creating a lot of good scoring chances, but we're not putting the ball in the net. But in fairness to the players, they kept going and they kept creating more chances and eventually we scored.''
It just took 47 minutes to do it. The Battery grabbed a 1-0 lead two minutes into the second half on Conway's header off a free kick. Matt Farris took the kick from about 20 yards out. The ball twisted to Conway on the left side, and he easily put the ball past O'Leary for his 20th goal of the season.
"Just a great ball from Matt,'' Conway said. "He put the ball right there. It was an easy goal. If I would have missed that one, I'd be in trouble. I would have never heard the end of that.''
Charleston extended its advantage to 2-0 on Mac Cozier's fifth goal this year. Again it was Conway who got things going for the Battery. Conway chipped the ball up to Cozier, who got by a Cincinnati defender and beat O'Leary with a hard shot from about 15 yards out.
"I saw Mac make his run and I just got the ball up to him,'' Conway said. "He was one-on-one with the goalie. He's not going to miss that shot.''
Charleston's next game will be against Cincinnati next Friday night at Blackbaud Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
CHARLESTON 2, CINCINNATI 0
Goals: Paul Conway, 47th minute (Matt Farris); Mac Cozier, 78th minute (Paul Conway). Shots: Charleston 21, Cincinnati 9. Fouls: Charleston 11, Cincinnati 21. Corner kicks: Charleston 12, Cincinnati 6. Saves: Charleston 5, Cincinnati 7.
Yellow cards: Scott Masturzo, Cincinnati, (2nd minute); Matt Farris, Charleston (30th minute); Shawn Rockey, Cincinnati (38th minute); Gilbert Jean-Baptiste, Charleston (61st minute); Rick Roetkker, Cincinnati (75th minutes), John Ball, Charleston (77th minute).
