LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 27, 2018) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (7-1-7) completed a two-game road trip with a 1-0 shutout victory against defending USL-champion Louisville City FC (7-3-4) on Wednesday at Louisville Slugger Field.
With the victory, the Hounds jump Louisville in the standings and now sit in second place in the Eastern Conference. The clean sheet marks the team’s 10th in 15 games played this season.
“In the second half, I thought we were better,” head coach Bob Lilley said. “The first 25-30 minutes were good. I thought we looked like we were more likely to score. We brought our subs in – they looked like they were going to impact the game. Good through-ball by [Kenardo Forbes], good run by [Romeo Parkes] and we got in behind them.”
How It Happened
Kenardo Forbes first created the offense, and then he finished the play for the game-winning goal.
Leading the break, Forbes sent a ball to Romeo Parkes, who sprinted down the left side of the pitch. Gathering the sphere, Parkes then sent a cross back into the middle of the penalty box. As the ball popped free to him, Forbes released a low shot that deflected off of Louisville traffic in front and into the back of the net to provide the Hounds with the only goal of the match.
Before Pittsburgh scored the lone goal of the game, it seemed as if its opponent might have originally broken the 0-0 tie for a fleeting moment.
Louisville appeared to have scored a go-ahead goal in the 58th minute. Following a short corner and cross into the penalty area, Louisville midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo had a brief moment of celebration before the goal was called off due to Pittsburgh goalkeeper Dan Lynd drawing a foul.
Louisville had one final chance to tie the match at 1-1 in second-half stoppage time, but Lynd batted a screaming ball from attacker Brian Ownby away from danger to preserve the clean sheet.
The Hounds posted a low shot total in the first half, although both of their takes were on target.
In the 23rd minute, Neco Brett found the speedy Christiano François on a break. As he sprinted by Louisville defender Paco Craig, the attacking midfielder blasted a shot from the center of the 18-yard box into the body of goalkeeper Gregory Ranjitsingh. After the initial block, François hit a rebound toward the net, but that too was blocked by Ranjitsingh, who then came out to cut down the angle.
Pittsburgh’s second shot on goal in the first half came from holding midfielder Thomas Vancaeyezeele. Following a faulty Louisville clearance, the rookie booted a ball toward the goalmouth from outside of the penalty area before being saved by Ranjitsingh.
Louisville, which recorded five shots in the first half, saw perhaps its best chance swept away by defender Joe Greenspan in the 43rd minute. As an open George Davis IV collected a pass from across the field, he bolted into the penalty box. Greenspan sprinted over and slid in the nick of time to clear his shot attempt out of bounds and away from danger.
Man of the Match
Midfielder Kenardo Forbes tallied the game-winning goal, and his first goal of the season, in the 79th minute. He also had a game-high five tackles.
Stat of the Game
With the shutout, the Hounds improve their season goals-against average to 0.47, which is the best mark in club history.
Beyond the Box Score
- Kevin Kerr moves past Gary DePalma for sole possession of second all-time in club history with 146 appearances.
- Playing his 10th career game with the club, goalkeeper Dan Lynd is first all-time in club history with a 0.64 goals-against average, including keepers with a minimum of 10 appearances.
- Lynd also recorded his seventh shutout of the season and his Hounds career. He now moves into sole possession of fourth all-time in club history for the statistic, breaking a tie with former keeper Trey Mitchell.
- The Hounds are yet to allow a goal with defender Joe Greenspan on the field (376 minutes).
What’s Next
Riverhounds SC returns home for its first-ever meeting with North Carolina FC (4-7-3) at 7 p.m. on July 4 at Highmark Stadium. After the match, fans are welcome to stay and watch the Pittsburgh Point State Park fireworks display light up the city skyline from their seats at Highmark Stadium.
Lineups:
Riverhounds SC – Dan Lynd – Ray Lee, Todd Pratzner, Joe Greenspan, Hugh Roberts, Jordan Dover – Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Kenardo Forbes (Andrew Lubahn 90+6’) – Kevin Kerr (Mouhamed Dabo 63’), Christiano François (Romeo Parkes 63’) – Neco Brett
Subs not used: Mike Kirk, Tobi Adewole, Kay Banjo, Joe Holland
Louisville – Gregory Ranjitsingh – Paco Craig, Sean Totsch, Kyle Smith – Shaun Francis (Brian Ownby 67’), Devon Williams, Paolo DelPiccolo, Oscar Jimenez (Pat McMahon 74’) – George Davis IV, Magnus Rasmussen – Ilija Ilic (Cameron Lancaster 78’)
Subs not used: Tim Dobrowolski, Chris Hubbard, Niall McCabe, Alexis Souahy
Scoring Summary:
PGH – Kenardo Forbes 79’
Misconduct Summary:
PGH – Mouhamed Dabo 75’ (caution)
LOU – Paco Craig 85’ (caution)
