CINCINNATI – Djiby Fall’s third goal of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup brought a modern-era Open Cup Fourth Round record crowd of 30,160 to its feet at Nippert Stadium as FC Cincinnati took a 1-0 victory against Columbus Crew SC on Wednesday night, sending FCC into the Fifth Round for the first time in club history.

Fall had scored the game-winning goal in each of Cincinnati’s prior two victories in the Open Cup against AFC Cleveland in the Second Round and USL rival Louisville City FC in the Third Round, and came through again in the 64th minute to claim victory in the first meeting between the Ohio clubs. Cincinnati will find out its opponent in the Fifth Round on Thursday when the draw is announced.

“I knew it was very important for us today to win this game,” said Fall in a postgame interview. “When you see all the city was behind us, you see today how all the fans were there to push us for the victory, so the whole thing we have to do is just to give of our best. I think today the guys did a very good job, and I think we deserved this victory.”

Columbus had the first chance of the game when Adam Jahn was played into the left side of the penalty area in the fourth minute, but the former Sacramento Republic FC loanee pulled his shot wide of the far post. The game played out relatively evenly following that, and Cincinnati created an opportunity in the 17th minute as an angled pass from Kenney Walker from the halfway found Fall just outside the penalty area. The Senegalese forward controlled well, but shot over under pressure from the closing Crew SC defenders.

Columbus began to gain the upper hand as the half progressed, and put regular pressure on the Cincinnati goal. Jahn had a chance from a tight angle in first-half stoppage time that found the left side-netting, but the hosts held firm until halftime to keep the game scoreless.

Crew SC continued to have the upper hand to start the second half, and saw Federico Higuain head just wide of the right post from 14 yards out in the 61st minute as both teams continued to look for the opening goal.

Three minutes later, Cincinnati had the lead. A cross from the right side by Justin Hoyte toward Fall was headed straight up in the area, and Fall got to the second chance to loop his header into the right corner of the net past Brad Stuver for his third goal of the Open Cup. 

Columbus immediately got back onto the front foot, and Artur span a shot just wide with 20 minutes to go from the right side of the penalty area, the ball just out of the reach of Jahn as it drifted wide of the left post. Higuain fired on goal two minutes later, only for Mitch Hildebrandt to comfortably save. Dilly Duka was the next to try his chances, but his shot took a slight deflection and was easily handled with 12 minutes to go.

Cincinnati tried to hold possession when it could in the final 10 minutes, but Crew SC pushed forward quickly whenever it got possession. Higuain attempted an ambitious bicycle kick from the edge of the penalty area with six minutes to go that was saved, and FCC had to put all hands to the pump as Columbus got into good wide positions to deliver into the penalty area, Harrison Delbridge blocked powerful low cross to the near post.

Crew SC continued to push into the six minutes of stoppage time, and a low cross through the six-yard area by Niko Hansen just eluded the sliding effort of Jahn at the back post. Then, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, a hopeful ball wasn’t cleared and fell on the volley to Higuain, only to be flashed over the crossbar. That was the last chance for the MLS side, as Nippert Stadium erupted into celebration at the final whistle on arguably the biggest night in the club’s short history.