(May 15, 2021) — Riverhounds SC conceded a late tying goal, but the Hounds came away with a 1-1 draw against Hartford Athletic after playing the final 10 minutes and stoppage time down a man at Dillon Stadium in Hartford, Conn.
Russell Cicerone scored in the 42nd minute to give the Hounds the lead, finishing calmly on the break after Tommy Williamson headed the ball to space beyond the Hartford defense. It was the first Hounds goal for 2021 signing Cicerone and the first professional assist for Williamson in his second pro match.
The Hounds were reduced to 10 men after captain Kenardo Forbes was sent off for his actions in a scuffle after the play. Luka Prpa tied the game for Hartford three minutes into stoppage time, heading in a free kick by Danny Barrera.
“I was happy with the first half, and I think we were pretty good,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “I don’t think we can blame it on refs, because in the second half, we didn’t play well enough. We didn’t put in the energy and let them play a lot in our end.”
It was the first time the Hounds (0-1-1) failed to win in three matches at Dillon Stadium, though the draw put the first blemish on the record of Hartford (2-0-1) this season.
First half
Things began brightly for the Hounds, who held a slight possession edge in the first 45 minutes and outshot Hartford in the first half, 9-6.
Alex Dixon, who played the past two seasons in Hartford, looked strong in his return working down the left flank. In the 14th minute, he nearly connected with Cicerone on a low pass across from the wing, and a minute later, a pass from Todd Wharton put him into space to fire a hard shot that was stopped by goalie Jeff Caldwell.
The Hounds continued to apply pressure down the wings, but it was a play straight up the middle that opened the scoring.
Defender Preston Kilwien thumped a high clearance forward from the Hounds half, and Williamson elevated over a Hartford defender 30 yards from goal to nod the ball forward. The header was directed perfectly to hit Cicerone in stride as he broke behind the Hartford defenders and finished with a shot into the top right corner of the net.
Second half
Hartford had a much stronger start to the second half, limiting the Hounds ability to work forward and holding them to one shot after the break. The final shot count for the match ended 10-8 in the Hounds favor, as chances were scarce each way.
The flashpoint moment of the match occurred in the 77th minute after Forbes was whistled for a foul on Younes Boudadi near the far sideline. A confrontation ensued with players from both teams, and Forbes was sent off for stepping on Boudadi after the Hartford player flailed to the ground in the altercation.
The Hounds scraped to try and see out the 1-0 win, but Hartford won a free kick near the right corner as stoppage time began, and Barrera sent a ball to the near post to which Prpa applied a slight header to redirect the ball into the net.
Hounds Man of the Match
Russell Cicerone not only notched the first Hounds goal of the season with a calm finish, but the forward was a threat throughout the match with his energy. He completed 75 percent of his passes in the attacking half of the field and drew four fouls, creating problems for Hartford for the duration of his 76-minute shift.
What’s next
The Hounds will play their first home match of 2021 when they host the Charlotte Independence on Saturday, May 22, at 7 p.m. at Highmark Stadium. Charlotte is coming off a 3-0 win last night over Charleston.
Riverhounds SC lineup (4-3-1-2) — Danny Vitiello; Preston Kilwien, Shane Wiedt, Mekeil Williams (Jelani Peters 76’), Jordan Dover; Todd Wharton (Louis Perez 90+3’), Kenardo Forbes, Danny Griffin; Russell Cicerone (Josh Gatt 76’); Alex Dixon (Dani Rovira 64’), Tommy Williamson (Albert Dikwa 64’)
Hartford Athletic lineup (4-3-3) — Jeff Caldwell; Gabriel Torres (Richie Schlentz 84’), Thomas Janjigian, Tulu, Alejandro Lara (Younes Boudadi 61’); Arthur Rogers (Luka Pipa 45’), Conor McGlynn, Danny Barrera; Bradford Jamieson IV, Juan Carlos Obregón Jr (Sebastian Elney 61’), Preston Tabort Etaka (Walmer Martinez 74’)
Scoring summary
PIT — Russell Cicerone 42’ (Tommy Williamson)
HFD — Luka Prpa 90+1’ (Danny Barrera)
Discipline summary
HFD — Alejandro Lara 18’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
HFD — Arthur Rogers 26’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Danny Vitiello 53’ (caution – delaying restart)
PIT — Kenardo Forbes 78’ (sent off – violent conduct)
HFD — Connor McGlynn 90+3’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
