Saturday, July 21, 2012
RICHMOND, Va. – Matthew Delicate became Richmond’s all-time leading goal-scorer with a stoppage-time penalty kick as the Kickers secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over the Dayton Dutch Lions on Saturday night at City Stadium. 
Entering the match as a 65th-minute substitute, Delicate had a number of close calls before scoring his 64th goal in a Richmond uniform. Soon after entering, a failed clearance from a Dayton defender left the Kickers forward through on goal, but his low shot veered just left of the frame. Delicate had another golden opportunity in the 86th minute, only to have his point-blank header pushed wide by Dayton goalkeeper Matt Williams.
Delicate again threatened in the 90th but was fouled in the box by Dayton defender Jeff DeGroot. After several minutes of protest by Dayton players culminated in a straight red card to the Dutch Lions' Gibson Bardsley, Delicate sent his spot kick past Williams to move past Rob Ukrop as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
The match was very much in the balance until Delicate’s goal. Richmond took the lead in the 11th minute when Ryan Heins knocked in the rebound from a saved Sascha Goerres shot. Running with the ball down the left, Goerres juked two Dayton defenders before unleashing a low shot from the top of the penalty area which a diving Williams could only push aside. Arriving unmarked down the right, Heins had an easy tap-in for his first goal of the season.
Dayton picked up the pace in the minutes after the goal, twice having dangerous runs into Richmond’s penalty box deflected away by Kickers defenders. In the 16th, Dutch Lions’ forward Eli Garner looked through on goal, only to lose the ball to a last second tackle by Yomby William. Just minutes later, Bardsley was similarly dispossessed in the box by a lunging Jason Yeisley.
The match settled down for the remainder of the first half as an open midfield left each side with plenty of possession, but few actual attempts on goal. The likeliest scorer was Kickers forward Chris Agorsor, who had a number of promising runs called back for offside.
Both teams came out with plenty of energy in the second half and Richmond thought they had gone two up in the 47th minute after Agorsor teed up Goerres at the top of the area. Goerres settled the ball and checked left before sending a shot in past Williams, but the goal was called back after an offside Agorsor was ruled to have blocked the Dayton keeper’s view of the shot.
Dayton maintained plenty of possession during the second half and had a number of dangerous runs, but they failed to trouble Richmond goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale who tallied his fifth clean sheet of the season.
After traveling to Charlotte for a match on Friday evening, the Richmond Kickers return to City Stadium to host the Charlotte Eagles next Saturday, July 28 at 7 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Food Truck Fest, where some of Richmond’s best food trucks will provide fans with a chance to sample unique and gourmet foods.
Scheduled to headline the event are local favorites including Habanero’s, Cupcakes & Tacos, Kona Ice, Dress and Press, La Milpa, Curbside, King of Pops and Richmond legend Boka Truck. Tickets are just $5 per person before 6:30 p.m. and are available in advance from RichmondKickers.com with promotional code FOODTRUCK.