Battery win third straight
By Jeff Hartsell (The Post and Courier)In two weeks at home, the Charleston Battery has gone from sixth place to a tie for first in the USL's First Division.
Home, sweet home, indeed.
Randi Patterson's goal with less than five minutes in regulation gave the Battery its third straight win at home, a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Impact before 2,146 fans at Blackbaud Stadium on Wednesday night.
The win and accompanying three points lifted the Battery to 3-1-2 and into a first-place tie with Portland, each team with 11 points. When the home- stand started two weeks ago, the Battery was 0-1-2 and in sixth place.
"It really pushes up there before we hit the road," said Battery coach Mike Anhaeuser. "You always want to win your home games, and the boys got it done tonight against a very good defensive team in Montreal."
Each team was credited with just one shot on goal, but Patterson — the Battery's leading scorer this season with four goals — made his chance count.
In the 85th minute, Patterson punched in a rebound off a shot by teammate Osvaldo Alonso. After a long ball put in by John Wilson, Alonso's effort was blocked by sliding Impact defender Cedric Joqueviel, leaving keeper Matt Jordan out of position for Patterson's follow-up shot.
"Toward the end, everybody got tired," said Patterson, a two-time Southern Conference soccer player of the year during his college career at UNC Greensboro. "That's when I show up the most, when everybody gets tired.
"I got a wonderful opportunity, and I finished it, luckily. The keeper got out of position, I saw a little gap and it went in."
The Impact, playing its sixth straight road game, fell to 2-4.
Charleston will hit the road to play at Rochester on Saturday, a team it defeated 2-0 to open this homestand.
"We are going on the road with confidence now, and that's all that matters," said Patterson, named the USL First Division player of the week after scoring two goals in a win over Miami last week.
Even with goalkeeper Dusty Hudock out of action — he suffered back spasms warming up before the game, and sat in favor of backup Keith Wiggans — Montreal chances were few and far between. Wiggans had one save, and the Impact had just two corner kicks to the Battery's five.
"We told ourselves, it would probably take just one chance or one deflection for either side," Anhaeuser said. "That's what our games with Montreal usually come down to, and Randi was able to slot one home for us."
The Battery had a chance for an early lead when a corner kick in the 21st minute set up Kevin Nylen perfectly for a header in front of an empty net, but the 6-3 defender's shot sailed over the crossbar.
The Impact's Joey Gjertsen got loose when a Battery defender fell down in the 34th minute, but could not get off a shot before Charleston's defense recovered and made the tackle in the box.
In the 41st minute, the Battery's Aaron King was just high and wide with a shot from the right side, and the half ended in a scoreless tie.
The Impact had a solid chance in the 63rd minute, when midfielder Mauro Biello got off a left-footed shot knocked down by Wiggans.
Patterson, got his first real opportunity in the 75th minute, his left-footed shot skipping just wide of the far post.
Impact midfielder David Testo had a similar chance in the 80th minute, his left-footer curling past the post.
After its trip to Rochester, the Battery returns home for another three-game homestand, with games against Atlanta, Vancouver and Montreal.
