RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers grabbed a fourth consecutive victory in stoppage time as Jackson Eskay’s goal earned a 2-1 win against the New York Red Bulls II at City Stadium. Eskay seized on a chance after the ball came loose in the left side of the penalty area following a free kick, and drove a low finish home to hand New York its first road loss of the season. The Red Bulls II missed a big chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot as Brandon Allen shot over the crossbar after being brought down in the area eight minutes in. Allen redeemed himself two minutes later with a clever finish, but the Kickers replied with a penalty kick of their own by Yudai Imura in the 12th minute to make it 1-1. Richmond twice went close through Sunny Jane early in the second half, only to send a shot wide, and have his second chance denied by Red Bulls II Ryan Meara. Both teams looked for a winner in the final 20 minutes, and in stoppage time Eskay found it for his first professional goal.

Scoring:
10’ – NY – Brandon Allen (Derrick Etienne)
12’ – RIC – Yudai Imuda (PK)
90+’ – RIC – Jackson Eskay

Three Things That Matter:

• 1. The energy and speed both games opened the game made for an enthralling start to the contest. New York could have taken the lead inside a minute when Anatole Abang’s deflected shot went off the crossbar, and both teams looked to quickly spread the field and get forward whenever they had the ball. It resulted in the two opening goals of the game, and while the pace didn’t quite sustain itself throughout, the intensity did as both teams played to take three points, with little held back.

• 2. As much as the teams looked to attack, there were some very good defensive performances between both sides. Red Bulls II center back Tim Schmoll had a good night overall, as even when the Kickers were able to find an avenue into the penalty area, Schmoll either made a good challenge, or was able to cut down his opponents’ shooting angle. For Richmond, Hugh Roberts also was good overall, as his continued growth as a player saw him make some decisive challenges and win possession to keep the Red Bulls at bay for most of the night.

• 3. Richmond had not looked like a major contender in the first half of the regular season, as the Kickers sat with a 5-5-5 record and were in the middle of a battle around the playoff cutoff. Now, after taking their fourth consecutive victory thanks to Jackson Eskay’s timely finish, the Kickers aren’t only looking like a side that will be in the postseason field, but one that could cause trouble once they get there. Up next, a Wednesday night visit to Rochester, and what will be a big game for playoff positioning.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match

Jackson Eskay, Richmond Kickers – Eskay had played a total of 29 minutes entering Saturday’s game, but his first professional goal proved the difference after coming on as a substitute to lift Richmond to victory.

Upcoming Games:

Richmond Kickers at Rochester Rhinos – August 3, 7:05 p.m. ET, Rhinos Stadium

New York Red Bulls II at Harrisburg City Islanders – August 2, 7 p.m. ET, FNB Field