PENN FC 0, LOUISVILLE CITY FC 3

It was no mistake that prior to the adoption of the name Penn FC this season they were the Harrisburg Islanders. They reside far from the ocean but nonetheless play their home matches on City Island, an oasis in the middle of the Susquehanna River that runs through the town.

Due to the swampy nature of the landform, recent weather inclemency, and this being the 3rd football match on the park in 8 days – on top of which it appeared to have been scarily over-irrigated – the surface for this game was atrocious. Slugger Field on Saturday will seem like Wembley when The Purples return home … well, almost.

Penn is a team that likes to touch the ball around so the condition of the pitch probably worked more against them than anything as Louisville City managed to leave them mired and eventually found enough high ground of their own to prevail with a messy but very valuable 3-point grab on the road.

It was a game that City really did not want to lose as a fair degree of esteem rested upon coming away with a result against a club who continue to experience a pretty patchy 2018 season under rookie German Head Coach Raoul Voss.

Penn FC is also notorious for making slow starts they cannot recover from, and with the match at Slugger earlier in the season well in mind – when Lucky Mkosana scored inside 15 seconds after kickoff, aided by a fatal misread by Paco Craig (they eventually took away a point in a 3-3 game) – the home side pressed forward in the opening stages, with team scoring leader Lucky Mkosana (10 goals) sending a header high from Honduran Walter Ramirez’ cross.

Miguel Jaime fired wide after receiving a header from Englishman Harri Hawkins after a corner and Penn were feeling good early.

The Louisvillians were looking to establish themselves but were having trouble working the ball through the midfield triangle of Paolo Del Piccolo, Speedy Williams, and Ilija Ilić and there was little free-flowing football on the uneven surface, not to mention the adjustment to 5 changes in the outfield 10 from Saturday night, with Messrs Totsch, Francis, McMahon, Spencer & new NYCFC loanee Jonathan Lewis in for Messrs ASAY, Jimenez, Smith, Lancaster & Davis, respectively.

In the 17’ minute, attacking right-back Marco Franco made his way up the wing and crossed ideally to Mkosana. The Zimbabwean did not time his header optimally, knocking it wide, and City had their first let-off of several on the evening.

Play switched to the other end and City finally applied some pressure, winning a pair of corners, with Shaun Francis’ lefty deliveries making work for the PFC defenders.

Sean Totsch popped up wide on the right to pick up the flotsam, made his way clear of two opponents and artfully cut back for Jonathan Lewis but he wasn’t able to latch on well. That he appeared in good support position and at least got a shot away was a positive sign for the debutant 21 year old.

Defender Pat McMahon then picked up a delayed yellow card when he lost a challenge and caught an opponent on a play that continued as an advantage which Sean defended, arriving behind in timely coverage.

Again play switched the opposite way and Luke Spencer won a free kick yards 35 yards out.

On his day, Shaun has the sweetest left peg – and maybe the sweetest, period – of any member of the squad and it had taken a crucial tip over by the Riverhounds’ ‘keeper to prevent him converting a beauty on Saturday. His follow-up demo was a delightfully measured peach, dropping perfectly in behind the line for Paolo to nod across goalie Romy Peiser and inside the far post for the 1-0 lead.

It was PDP’s 2nd set-piece headed goal this season and Penn will regret having lost stalwart central D man Ken Tribbett (to a shoulder injury last match vs NCFC), leaving 5’7 Calvin Rezende trying to cover the City captain on the play.

Shaun had confidence and his tail up and he immediately ventured forward again, this time chipping into the area from distance but just barely over Luke’s head.

Waiting for the breakthrough had taken 25 minutes but now a floodgate seemed to be opening as Speedy fed Jonathan up the left. The Plantation, FL native just loves to run at defenders, a penchant found also in Ilija and George lV. But the new No.39 has the additional attribute of an electrifying burst of pace, and with a quick step-over he paused Franco, drove outside him and bent over a juicy cross far post for Luke. Meanwhile, Luke had checked to the near post, but with Hawkins still daydreaming about winning World Cup semifinals the ball went on through to Niall McCabe who was alert to the opportunity for his 4th of the year and he crashed it back into the top corner on the one-timer.

A rousing finish, an assist for the new lad, and much needed scoring contributions from the midfield again – with quality to boot.

Penn, on the wrong side of the cutoff line for playoffs, needed to gather themselves and press back hard, and so they did just 2 minutes later.

Hawkins on halfway drilled forward up the left channel for Mkosana who loves his flicks, and this one back inside was rolling to Paco, but while shifting to intercept he stumbled, allowing Rezende to race by him, draw Shaun in from his zone and slip the ball over to new asset, Brazilian dangerman Paulo Jr. in the vacant slot. The chance was there but with Shaun wheeling back to close down, he sizzled it off the outside of the horizontal stanchion for a goal kick for a rather relieved Greg Ranjitsingh.

Our Paolo is better than your Paulo….

However, the chances were falling thick and fast to the resurgent Penn boys and Speedy conceded a free kick 40 yards out wide right. California born and 41 time El Salvador international Richard Menjívar’s delivery was well cleared in the air by Paco, though it fell to Rezende just outside the area. His drive was blocked point blank by Speedy but it ran for an incoming Jaime who bombed it in toward goal, only for the ball to ricochet off the back of the late ducking Tiago Calvano and hard off the crossbar, seemingly almost splitting it in two, before Sean directed to safety.

On 34 minutes, Paco went through Menjívar and the Louisville defense appeared to pause in anticipation of a probably deserved yellow card – but not Menjívar who sprung back up, spied Mkosana in an opening ahead and didn’t waste time finding him. Referee Bardhyl Pashaj correctly allowed the override but Mkosana, not reliving the fine time he had in his 2 goal performance at Slugger 3 months ago, was not able to beat Greg.

Despite a sometimes awkward time getting organized in defense and a heavy home pushback, City had somehow ridden out a torrid 5 minutes after their 2nd goal.

At the other end, an ever threatening Jonathan outfoxed Franco and pushed the ball back inside to Luke who almost sliced through but was prevented.

In the 43’, Shaun got his head to a through ball but it deflected back at a diagonal to Ramírez who quickly moved it to Paulo Jr., alone in Shaun’s left defensive area. His finish however was soft.

As the end of an often breathless 1st half came around Paolo, Speedy and Jonathan combined to set up Luke but his shot was saved by Peiser.

City had escaped with a 2-0 lead, though on the technical side, the rotational changes – albeit understandable in the middle of another 3-fixture-in-8-day stand – had been yielding mixed results.

Central defense had not been 100% in synch, the right side, as on Saturday, had been exposed once too often, Niall had begun to drift out of the game and even more so Ilija again, and the hold-up play of Luke had not quite been up to the level of Cameron’s.

With no small (dis)credit to the awful field conditions, although entertaining, the half had often been sloppily played and the feeling was that some halftime reorganization – at least tactically -would be required.

Still, the only outward change as the teams re-emerged was Rezende off and season-long Ghanaian loanee Prince Baffoe on for Penn FC.

in just the 2’ minute of the half Paco’s solid, ball-winning tackle at the top of the arc was not to Mr Pashaj’s liking. Ramírez’ free kick cleared the wall, forcing a diving parry from Greg. Hawkins, hurried by Sean’s presence, shot the carom wide from a sharp angle.

Aided by poor ball handling errors, City then enjoyed the best of the next 15 minutes, Luke letting in Niall who shot wide of the frame, and Jonathan forging forward to the top of the area but, with a more than decent possibility of notching a debut goal to go with his assist, he struck the ball over Peiser’s crossbar.

Just as it looked like the Barrel Hoops would completely take over, the game entered a wild phase of end-to-end opportunities, catalyzed by loose organization and more sloppy play by both sides.

Baffoe on the right got around Shaun but a sliding Paco slid deflected for a corner.
Soon after, Mkosana broke and shot at again Greg, and at the other end Ilija did likewise on Peiser. Play swung back and City were scrambling to clear again

A little over the hour mark, Voss replaced Rezende with offensive minded Aaron Dennis, and John Hackworth interestingly countered / went ahead anyway (?) putting Brian Ownby (on for Jonathan Lewis) in on the same side of the park.

This surely delighted many Lou City fans to see No.10 return from an extended period out with concussion symptoms. Jonathan, for his part, had delivered a very pleasing introductory performance after rarely playing so many minutes at New York City to this point.

For a time, mistakes – too many forced passes, not enough focus on retaining the ball – and the counter-for-counter nature of the game continued.

From a free kick, Sean was not able to connect with ball, but to his fortune neither was Mkosana.

Luke was just offside after great work through the left channel by Brian and Paco. Penn made another raid and won a corner after some ragged defending, but seconds later City were countering again, Paolo and Brian putting Luke through onside this time in a similar area. He drew and chipped Peiser, a signature Spencer move, however the ball drifted across the goalmouth and wide.

In the 72’ minute came a somewhat bizarre incident when Pat reached in to poke the ball away as it came to Ramírez. It was a needless, yet innocuous play – it appeared there was zero significant contact made between the players – in an innocuous area in midfield, but as is de rigeur in many subsets of the greater footballing culture Ramírez collapsed in suggested agony for the benefit of the official. Not willing to take a chance in the circumstances, referee Pashaj whistled and drew his notebook, perhaps at first unsure he had already cautioned Pat midway through the 1st half. Indeed, it hadn’t been clear exactly to which player that earlier card had been presented and the red card accompanying Pat’s 2nd yellow appeared to stun some of his teammates.

Perhaps worth an appeal by the club – though the league are unlikely to retract.

Immediately following, Speedy went down injured and was replaced by José Carranza – though, especially in light of Saturday’s late events, the strategic installation of Alexis might have been desirable here – and soon after Kyle Smith replaced Ilija.

One excellent passing combination saw José play to Niall to Luke who had Brian in space in the penalty area but in the process of trying to turn his defender he staggered, laid a hand on the ball and the opportunity was lost.

For City, their opponents seemed to have exhausted their thrust and the final 10 minutes, even competing 1 man short, would play out comfortably enough for them.

But there was to be a bonus for the persistent Hoops when Luke fed through to Niall in the area. Ramírez, subconsciously returning City a favor (?), took a laundry basketful of the jersey of No. 11’s who, instinctively knowing to keep his feet moving, cut and went down with the haul, winning the penalty.

Luke, silently asserting Triumvirate seniority, claimed and then converted the kick and there was another travel victory in the books for the good guys.

The win places Louisville 6th of all 33 clubs in the USL, 3rd best on the road, and 2nd in the all-important Eastern Conference standings.

Charleston’s simultaneous 1-1 letdown at home to struggling Charlotte certainly doesn’t hurt.

On paper at least, it was another tremendously satisfying road victory, the unbeaten streak away from Slugger now extending to 6 straight – and only 1 loss (down at Charleston) over the last 10 league trips – every bit as incredible as the irritatingly inverse home form.

Academically, however, questions persist over whether this City team will be able to aspire to dominate the “top half” clubs as they generally have done over the “rest”.

A terrified Ottawa side, occupying the final Eastern playoff spot by the skin of its Furious teeth, could provide another virulent visitor to Slugger this Saturday.

The Morados should be all too wary of this one turning into another “Canadian Trap” game.

~~~~~ Fun Footnotes ~~~~~

* Lucky will turn 31 this September 30th