Friday, May 17, 2013
HARRISBURG Pa. -- Honors ended even as two of the top teams in USL PRO met in a highly contested match on Friday night at Skyline Sports Complex as the Harrisburg City Islanders and Orlando City played to a 2-2 draw. Sainey Touray opened the scoring for the City Islanders, but the hosts needed a second-half equalizer from Yann Ekra after Orlando’s Dom Dwyer had given the Lions the lead with a goal in either half.
Both teams had chances early, Orlando coming close to opening the lead in the opening five minutes only for the assistant referee’s flag to be raised for offside. The City Islanders opened the scoring in the 16th minute when a pass slipped behind the Orlando defense to the feet of Don Anding on the left. Anding charged the net with Touray, and when Orlando goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo came out to challenge Anding, he chipped a cross to Touray who finished into the empty net. The goal was Touray’s fifth of the season and his third in two games.
It didn’t take long for the Lions to answer with a goal of their own. Orlando was awarded a free kick 25 yards from goal for a handball, and Dwyer, who entered the game with a league-leading 10 goals, stepped up and put a shot past Islanders goalkeeper Nick Noble into the right corner of the net. The goal ended Noble’s two-game shutout streak.
The next goal would also come from the foot of Dwyer, who tapped his 12th goal of the season after the ball deflected off Noble’s leg after an attempted shot by Orlando defender Bryan Burke as he broke into the right side of the penalty area. The goal set a new club record for Orlando, with Dwyer setting a new mark for goals in a season for the Lions, and put the Lions up 2-1 in the 55th minute.
The City Islanders were able to hit back on a fine solo effort by Yann Ekra with 18 minutes to go. After stealing possession 40 yards from goal, Ekra was able to withstand challenges from three Lions defenders before shooting from a few yards outside of the penalty area, his shot finding its way past his markers and into the right corner of the net to even the score.
Both team had great chances to snatch a win in the final 10 minutes, Orlando’s Long Tan having a late chance well saved by Noble, but both teams walked away with a point after an end-to-end contest.
The City Islanders next game arrives on Tuesday night as they travel to Exeter High School’s Don Thomas Stadium for a contest with Reading United in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Islanders next return home on Wednesday, June 5 at 7 p.m. as they host the Wilmington Hammerheads.