Late goal from Birmingham steals point away from Hartford

Hartford’s Prince Saydee heads the ball during Sunday’s USL Championship game in Birmingham. A late goal lifted Birmingham to a 2-1 win. (Rob Pitts photo courtesy USL Championship)

The Hartford Athletic were minutes away from getting a point on the road until Birmingham’s Anderson Asiedu scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time to lift Birmingham Legion to a 2-1 USL Championship victory on Sunday at Protective Stadium.

The Athletic (1-3-1, 0-3-1 USL Championship) are still searching for their first victory in USL Championship action this year.

The late goal gave Birmingham (1-2-2) their first victory of the season. Birmingham midfielder Enzo Martinez played the corner into the back post, where Asiedu was waiting to head it home and send the home crowd into a frenzy.

“We were getting closer and closer,” said Asiedu. “Normally I don’t get into the box, so they left me alone because they don’t think somebody like me will be there all the time. I’m not in the box a lot, but in football you have to trust your instincts. At [the end of the match], you have to take risks because it’s last minute. I was there and the ball came right to me.”

Birmingham’s Juan Agudelo nearly made an immediate impact in the 10th minute with a powerful header that clipped the outside of the left post and went behind. Asiedu also hit the woodwork three minutes later with an audacious chip from 30 yards that beat Hartford goalie Austin Pack but hit the crossbar and rebounded to safety.

Birmingham took the lead eight minutes before halftime as Mikey Lopez was brought down in the penalty area by Hartford’s Ashkanov Apollon, allowing Agudelo to step up to the spot and convert on a penalty kick by shooting low to the right corner for his first goal in Birmingham’s colors.

The lead proved short-lived, though, as Apollon made amends for his foul with a crisply struck volley off a cross by Andre Lewis as he arrived late in the left side of the penalty area to pull Hartford level in the 43rd minute.

After a run from Joel Johnson and a touch pass from Rashawn Dally, Andre Lewis made a brilliant cross to the back post for Apollon, who struck the ball perfectly into the bottom left corner of the net. After nearly 40 minutes of playing on the back foot and being outshot 12-3, Hartford was able to carry a tie game and some momentum into the locker room.

Hartford had a chance to take the lead in the 64th minute when Danny Barrera received a pass from Modou Jadama in the center of the penalty area but shot just wide of the bottom-left corner.

Legion FC’s Marlon Santos then had a golden chance to put the hosts ahead with seven minutes to go as he sent his finish wide from eight yards after a fine low cross from the right by Jonny Dean found the Brazilian at the back post.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Asiedu stole in at the back post on a corner kick from the left by Enzo Martinez to head home and give Legion FC its first three points of the season.

Hartford returns to action on Saturday when they travel to Miami FC for a 7 p.m. contest.

Birmingham 2, Hartford 1
At Birmingham
Hartford (0-3-1)                1  0  — 1
Birmingham (1-2-2)          1  1  — 2
Goals: B — 38′ – Juan Agudelo; 93′ – Anderson Asiedu (Enzo Martinez); H – 43′ – Ash Apollon (Andre Lewis); Saves: Austin Pack (H) 3, Matt Van Oekel (B) 1
Shots: Birmingham 19-9: Shots on target: Birmingham 5-2; Corners: Hartford, 5-0; Fouls: Hartford 14-8; Offsides: Hartford 4-2; Possession: Birmingham 64.1 to 35.9
Hartford lineup: 1 (GK) Austin Pack, 5 (DF) Tom Brewitt, 23 (DF) Modou Jadama, 30 (DF) Joel Johnson, 14 (MF) Ashkanov Apollon (Younes Boudadi 86′); 77 (MF) Andre Lewis, 10 (FW) Danny Barrera, (FW), 7 (FW) Prince Saydee (Mitchell Curry, 76′); 4 (DF) Tulu, 18 (FW) Rashawn Dally (Conor McGlynn, 61′) 11 (MF) Luka Prpa (Peter-Lee Vassell, 41′)
Birmingham lineup: 1 (GK) Matt Van Oekel, 3 (DF) Phanuel Kavita, 27 (DF) Thomas Vancaeyezeele, 21 (DF) Alex Crognale, 24 (DF) Jonathan Dean, 6 (MF) Anderson Asiedu, 19 (MF) Enzo Martinez, 5 (DF) Mikey Lopez, 8 (Ryan James, 74′); (MF) Bruno Lapa (Marlon, 66′) (Grayson Dupont, 90+7′); 99 (FW) Juan Agudelo (Edi Horvat, 66′); 10 (FW) Prosper Kasim (Amadou Diop, 83′)