Highland Heights, Kentucky (April 9, 2023) – Huntsville City Football Club earned two road points on Sunday afternoon against FC Cincinnati 2 after the contest finished as a 2-2 draw. Huntsville City FC saw goals from Ollie Wright and Danny Griffin in regulation as the club secured the extra point after Elliot Panicco made the final save in round seven.
Huntsville City FC got on the board first with a sensational goal from Ollie Wright who curled in the first goal of the match from well beyond the 18-yard box. Wright took possession of the ball and dribbled towards the net and delivered his shot from distance.
FC Cincinnati 2 evened the match in the 59th minute, but less than 10 minutes later Danny Griffin put Huntsville up 2-1. Huntsville showed itsq aggression in the box and Griffin jumped on a rebound to give Huntsville the lead.
The match finished as a 2-2 draw after FC Cincinnati 2 scored the equalizer in the 75th minute. Huntsville City FC would go on to earn the extra point after winning the shootout 7-6, with Sean Suber securing the final kick and Elliot Panicco providing the final save.
Huntsville dominated the match on the stat sheet, winning the possession battle 61.1-38.9, out-shooting FC Cincinnati 2 15-5, and completing 198 more passes on the day.
After the match, Head Coach Jack Collison and goal-scorer Ollie Wright spoke to the media about the resilience of the group to earn an extra point, but the necessity to secure leads. Coach Collison also spoke about the incredible support the club has from the fans and their spirit while the team is on the road. Wright spoke about the mentality of the group as the club continues its road trip before opening Joe Davis Stadium and the growth the team has shown.
Huntsville City FC will return to action at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, April 16 from New York Rd Bulls 2. The match can be seen on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.
Box Score:
Huntsville City FC (0W-1L-1D, 2SOW, 4 pts.) vs. FC Cincinnati 2 (1W-1L-1D, 0SOW, 4 pts.)
April 8, 2023 | NKU Soccer Stadium | Highland Heights, Kentucky
Final Score
CIN2: 2
HCFC: 2
Huntsville City FC Earns Extra Points 7-6 Via Shootout
Scoring Summary
HCFC: Ollie Wright (A: Shaun Joash) 38’
CIN2: Quimi Ordonez (Unassisted) 59’
HCFC: Danny Griffin (Unassisted) 68’
CIN2: CIN2: Quimi Ordonez (A: Bret Halsey) 75’
Discipline
HCFC: Brian Anunga (caution) 56'
HCFC: Ahmed Longmire (caution) 79’
CIN2: Ian Murphy (caution) 90+1’
Lineups:
HCFC Starters: Elliot Panicco; Taylor Washington (Joey Skinner 77’), Sean Suber, Ahmed Longmire ©, Josh Bauer; Jonathan Bolanos, Jan Greguš (Joey DeZart 64’), Tah Brian Anunga (Danny Griffin 64’), Kemy Amiche (Josh Drack 81’); Ollie Wright, Shaun Joash (Tyler Freeman 64’)
Substitutes: John Berner, Cyrus Rad, Isaiah Johnston, Chris N'Sa
CIN 2: Starters: Alec Kann; Ian Murphy, Kair Thomas, Joey Akpunonu, Isaiah Foster, Salim Adams (Ryder Mills 72’), Stiven Jimenez, Bret Halsey (Darrell Turcios 87’), Morgan Marshall, Jesis Castellano, Quimi Ordonez
Substitutes: Paul Walters, Nicholas McHenry, Nicholas Samways, David Garcia, Owen Noverr, Ben Stitz, Haroun Conteh
