BY ANDREW MILLER
Of The Post and Courier Staff
DANIEL ISLAND-All season, Charleston has created plenty of offensive chances.
This time the Battery just took advantage of them.
Steve Klein scored two goals and Paul Conway added a goal and an assist as Charleston blanked Richmond, 3-0, Friday night before a crowd of 3,595 and a Fox Sports World television audience at Blackbaud Stadium.
With the victory, Charleston improved to 4-1-1 (19 points) and moved into sole possession of second place in the Southeast Division. Richmond dropped to 4-1-1 (18 points).
It was a dominating performance from beginning to end as the Battery not only earned the extra point in the standings for three goals, but completely shut down the Kickers' potent attack.
"We have been creating chances all along," Battery head coach Chris Ramsey said. "Tonight we took them and scored. I thought we defended well. We still didn't play as well as could. We took our chances, which we'd been creating all along.
"I'm pleased with the extra points. The lads played hard. They played well, but I thought Richmond played excellent. We were lucky to finish our chances tonight."
Conway, who leads the team with four goals on the season, said the extra point, which came frequently last season, was a nice bonus in the victory.
"It seemed like we got the extra point every week," said Conway, who also has three assists on the season. "The problem last year was we were letting just as many in on the other end. So, I'm more happy with the clean sheet as I am with the three goals and the bonus point."
Charleston keeper Dusty Hudock got his fourth shutout of the season and his third at home. The Battery has not given up a goal to an A-League team this season at home.
"I think our defense has been just as good on the road," Hudock said. "I think our defense has been very solid. We've done very well. Obviously, we're playing well.
"Richmond played two days ago and they showed it a little bit in their legs. I think we're a little more organized than we've been in the past and I think that's telling the difference."
Charleston went up 1-0 in the 10th minute on Conway's indirect free kick. Conway got the indirect kick about 10 feet away from the goal after Richmond keeper Ronnie Pascale picked up a ball on a pass back from a Kickers' defender.
With most of the Richmond team in the net guarding the goal, Charleston's Raul Diaz-Arce tapped the ball only a couple of inches to get the play started. Conway took one long stride and roofed the ball just under the cross bar for the score.
Charleston took a two-goal lead on Klein's goal in the 68th minute. Ryan Trout served the ball into the right side of the box to Conway. Conway flicked the ball into the middle to Klein, who one-touched it past Pascale for the score.
"Paul did all the work putting the ball across the box for me," said Klein, who recorded his first goal of the season. "It was a matter of me looking up and seeing where the keeper was, but really Paul did all the work on that goal."
Two minutes later, the Battery grabbed a 3-0 lead on Klein's second goal of the match. Mac Cozier got the ball on the right side and served it to the middle of the box. The ball hit a Kickers' defender and bounced just outside the box. Klein got to the loose ball and blasted it past Pascale for the score.
