RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers, who were shut out during their previous three matches, garnered some long-awaited goal scoring on Saturday. Fred Owusu Seykere’s 15th-minute tally and Alhaji Kamara’s 46th-minute score helped Richmond earn a 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at City Stadium. Kickoff was pushed back an hour because of a weather delay, and both teams endured the rain-soaked conditions throughout Saturday’s match. Columbus Crew SC loanee Marshall Hollingsworth netted a goal for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to keep his side in the match. Richmond improved to 2-3-0 (6 points) overall and 2-2-0 at home, earning its first win since its home-opening 1-0 victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders on March 25. Pittsburgh fell to 1-3-2 (5 points) and lost for the first time on the road this season.

Scoring:
15’ – RIC – Fred Owusu Seykere (Raul Gonzalez)
46’ – RIC – Alhaji Kamara
59’ – PGH – Marshall Hollingsworth

Three Things That Mattered:

• 1. The Kickers’ offense had gone 324 consecutive minutes without a goal, going back to Conor Shanosky’s season-opening tally against Harrisburg. Owusu Seykere put that drought to bed with his first of the season. Samuel Asante orchestrated the counterattack, found Raul Gonzalez on the right flank. Gonzalez’s skipping cross connected with Owusu Seykere, who redirected into the right corner of the frame for the 1-0 lead.

• 2. In the opening minute of the second half, Richmond drew a free kick from outside the box on the right side and capitalized. Gonzalez’s right-footed delivery was put in a dangerous spot inside the box, but the Riverhounds were unable to clear out of harm’s way. Alhaji Kamara cleaned up with a toe poke and a 2-0 advantage. The Kickers are still trying to find their way in the attacking end in terms of buildup and cohesiveness, but they have a result that they can build off of.

• 3. Pittsburgh had certainly been deserving of a score based on its possession and creation of set-piece opportunities. The Riverhounds finally broke through with Columbus Crew SC loanee Marshall Hollingsworth. Richmond coughed up the ball outside the box, and Hollingsworth made the host side pay with a beautifully taken long-distance strike that found the upper left corner of the frame to cut Richmond’s lead to 2-1 in the 59th minute. Pittsburgh will look back knowing that it could have put itself in a stronger position heading into the second half through. The Riverhounds held 61 percent of the possession during the opening half and put three of their four first-half shots on target. They also generated some other chances in the second half that needed a better result, particularly Joe Greenspan’s unmarked header from Kevin Kerr’s free kick in the 71st minute. 

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:
Raul Gonzalez, Richmond Kickers – Gonzalez played a hand in both Kickers goals, assisting Fred Owusu Seykere and then providing the set-piece delivery that led to Alhaji Kamara’s score.

Upcoming Games:
Richmond Kickers at Tampa Bay Rowdies – April 29, 7:30 p.m. ET, Al Lang Stadium
Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs. Harrisburg City Islanders – April 29, 7 p.m. ET, Highmark Stadium