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Louisville’s Late Finish Spoils City Islanders’ Rally

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 04/22/16, 9:01PM EDT

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Kaye scores winner after Hoffman brace as City earns dramatic 3-2 win


Photo courtesy Harrisburg City Islanders

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Louisville City FC squandered a two-goal lead, but goal a 90th-minute winner from Mark-Anthony Kaye to take a 3-2 victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders at FNB Field on Friday night. Chandler Hoffman also scored twice for Louisville, while Paul Wilson and Brett Jankouskas pulled Harrisburg level, only for Kaye’s winner to grab all three points for the visitors.

Harrisburg looked bright early on, and threatened in the 12th minute as Wilson’s low shot was saved by Louisville goalkeeper Scott Goodwin. Harrisburg’s Craig Foster also had a long range effort that went high of the crossbar four minutes later as both teams tried to push the tempo early.

Louisville (4-1-0, 12pts) took the lead in the 22nd minute after Kadeem Dacres was brought down in the right side of the penalty area. Hoffman stepped up, and converted the penalty kick with a firm shot to the right corner for his fifth goal of the season.

The City Islanders (1-3-0, 3pts) looked to get back on level terms quickly, and Wilson had a long-range effort comfortably saved by Goodwin in the 34th minute. Jose Barril also stretched to get a head on a back-post cross from the left by Bobby Warshaw, but was unable to control his finish just before the break.

Foster again had a chance, this time from 10 yards as a good lead pass put in in behind Louisville’s defense, but his finish went wide of the near post as Goodwin quickly closed down the angle off his line.

A minute before the halftime break Louisville made it 2-0 as Niall McCabe flicked a header in behind the Harrisburg defense, and Hoffman was the first to the ball to take it past Nick Noble, and finished from a narrow angle on the left side of the penalty area.

As quickly as Louisville had a two-goal lead, Harrisburg halved it to get within striking distance at the break. A loose ball into the penalty area broke to Wilson, and his roofed finish found the back of the net to make it 2-1 on the stroke of halftime.

Both teams pushed for the next goal early in the second half, and Louisville’s Ben Newnam fired a shot just over the crossbar in the 52nd minute, while Harrisburg’s Benbow had a shot blocked two minutes later. Harrisburg goalkeeper Nick Noble had to be sharp just past the hour-mark as a free kick by George Davis IV clipped off the head of Liam Doyle, and the veteran goalkeeper saved.

The hosts continued to look for an equalizer, and Benbow had a dangerous chance midway through the second half that only found the side-netting. It finally arrived with two minutes to go, as a corner kick by Jose Barril was powerfully headed home by Jankouskas to make it 2-2 late on.

Louisville had the last laugh, however, as an angled cross by Ben Newnam from the left side was headed across goal by in the final minute by Paco Craig, and Kaye’s close-range header restored the visitors’ lead. Warshaw had a late chance to equalize deep in stoppage time for the City Islanders, but Louisville held on for its third consecutive victory.

Upcoming Games

  • April 25: Harrisburg City Islanders vs. Orlando City B, 7 p.m. ET, FNB Field

  • April 27: Louisville City FC vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 7:30 p.m. ET, Slugger Field

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match

Chandler Hoffman, Lousiville City FC – Hoffman had a multi-goal game for a second consecutive occasion to move to six goals on the season, and put pressure on the City Islanders’ back line throughout with his speed and movement before his late substitution.