Nashville struck early on the road Saturday evening – defender Liam Doyle blasted a shot into the bottom-right corner of the net after Lebo Moloto laid off a free kick – but Charleston Battery was able to respond early in the second half to level the score. While Nashville would have chances, neither team would find the game-winner (at least a game-winner that counted) and split the points in the Holy City.
“It’s tinged with a little disappointment that we didn’t take all three points,” said head coach Gary Smith. “It was a solid performance; we are in a good run of form right now. There were one or two moments where we could have had more quality around the box, but the guys have shown a professional attitude on the road. Once we wake up in the morning with another road point we’ll be delighted.”
No chance to pull ahead was closer than Taylor Washington’s 69th-minute header – which actually found the back of the net, but was called back on what appeared to be minimal contact – and a foul on Washington.
“I didn’t get a chance to see the replay, but they said I pushed him in the back,” Washington opined. “Gary’s reaction told me what I need to know, and he said that the ref had gotten it wrong. The defender went into me, and I was just trying to get above him. I thought he embellished it, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Nashville controlled much of the game, even on the road against one of the top sides in the Eastern Conference standings. While the Boys in Gold had only 48.3% of possession, the field was tilted with both teams playing closer to the Battery’s end of the pitch than Nashville’s, and NSC had nine shots – four inside the box – to Charleston’s six, with two from dangerous range.
Unfortunately for Nashville, one of Charleston’s shots in the box came from the right foot of Autalla Guerra, and beat Matt Pickens to his right, scoring into the bottom corner of the net to equalize, and allow Charleston to pick up a point at home.
With the result, Charleston remains third in the Eastern Conference standings, while Nashville remains tenth. The Boys in Gold fortunately have at least one game in hand on nearly every team ahead of them in the table, with a league-low nine contests played. They’ll make up some of that gap posthaste, with a mid-week game against Pittsburgh Riverhounds this Wednesday the third in a run of six games in 18 days. The trip to Steel City will see a rematch of NSC’s second game of the year, a 0-0 draw in Nissan Stadium.
The game kicks off at 6 p.m. Central (7 p.m. local).
Starting lineups
Match events
- 25′ NSH GOAL – 5 Liam Doyle (left foot), assisted by 10 Lebo Moloto
- 45’+1 – Half time.
- 50′ CHS GOAL – 10 Ataulla Guerra (right foot), assisted by 2 Jay Bolt
- 53′ CHS Yellow card – 10 Ataulla Guerra (dissent)
- 54′ NSH Yellow card – 17 Michael Reed (foul)
- 66′ CHS Substitution – On 13 Nicholas Rittmeyer, off 2 Jay Bolt
- 66′ NSH Substitution – On 32 Brandon Allen, off 3 Ropapa Mensah
- 70′ CHS Substitution – On 15 Gordon Wild, off 9 Ian Sventesson
- 81′ CHS Substitution – On 21 Angelo Kelly-Rosales, off 25 Kotaro Higashi
- 81′ NSH Substitution – On 11 Ish Jome, off 23 Taylor Washington
- 86′ NSH Substitution – On 13 Ryan James, off 20 Matt LaGrassa
- 90’+3 NSH Yellow card – 2 Justin Davis (dissent)
- 90’+4 – Full time
Club and Country 