Saturday, June 8, 2013
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Charleston Battery came away with victory on Saturday night against Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo Reserves at Blackbaud Stadium in front of 2,988 fans. Three different players scored for the Battery, helping them to a 4-1 victory. The Battery’s record turns to (7-3-2) moving them into sole possession of third place in the USL PRO standings.
“It was great to have Quinton back tonight, he always adds another dimension to our game and seeing him and Jose get their first goals was huge. If our wingers are scoring it only makes us more dangerous,” said head coach Mike Anhaeuser after the win.
Nicki Paterson was instrumental for the Battery with two goals and some excellent play in the midfield. Paterson scored in the 18th minute to make it 1-0 with a beautifully taken free kick that he finessed home past Dynamo Reserves keeper, Tyler Deric.
Midfielder Jose Cuevas got his first goal of the year with great awareness on a Battery corner kick. In the 62nd minute, Cuevas snuck in behind the Dynamo Reserves defense and played a tricky angled ball into the side netting to give the Battery a 2-0 advantage.
Houston’s Brian Ownby responded quickly to put the Battery back on their toes with a goal off an attempted Battery clearance in the 63rd minute. The ball was headed right to Ownby, who took a touch in stride and buried it to cut the Battery lead to one.
In the 77th minute, Quinton Griffith played a nice cross into the box for Paterson who snapped a header into the net and put the Battery on top, 3-1. Late in stoppage time, Griffith connected on a cross from Mike Azira to put the Battery up 4-1 and secure the victory. Azira crossed it from the left to the far post for Griffith, who placed a nice volley past Deric into the left side-netting.
The Battery’s next match will be against Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake in Salt Lake City, Utah on Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. for the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup Tournament. The Battery return to USL PRO action on Saturday, June 15 against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in Pittsburgh, Pa. at 7 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on 1450 AM SportsRadio.