Dieng scores again as Hartford battles to 1-1 tie with Detroit City

Hartford’s Tristan Hodge works to control the ball during Saturday night’s USL Championship game in Detroit. The Athletic battled Detroit City to a 1-1 tie. (Photo courtesy Hartford Athletic)

Forward Mamadou Dieng scored his fifth goal in the last four games to help the Hartford Athletic earn a crucial point as Hartford battled to a 1-1 tie with host Detroit City FC on Saturday night in USL Championship action.

Hartford (8-12-5) has secured at least a point in seven of their last nine games and has 29 points with nine games remaining in the regular season. The Athletic are five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference.

Hartford broke a quiet opening to tonight’s match in the 17th minute, when Emmanuel Samadia, Michee Ngalina, and Dieng made a brilliant connection to put the Athletic on the board.

Samadia played a long ball from his own half into Detroit’s box for Ngalina, who played a composed touch off his chest and delivered a cross to a streaking Dieng just in front of goal. The 20 year old striker fully extended to get his right foot to the ball, tapping it into the open net for his seventh goal of the season.

It was third straight game with a goal for Dieng. He has scored at least  a goal in four of the last five matches.

Just four minutes after Hartford took the lead, Detroit City (10-8-8) got on the board with a goal from Ben Morris.

Maxi Rodriguez played a lead ball into the attacking third for Laurent Kissiedou, who found Ben Morris going forward into Hartford’s box. Detroit’s leading goal scorer added to his total, clinically slotting his shot from the right side into the bottom left corner to beat Renan Ribeiro.

Tied 1-1 with over twenty minutes still to play in the half, Hartford got back on the front foot and nearly took the lead back before taking to the locker room.

The Athletic were given a free kick just a few yards outside of the box in the 26th minute, and Michee Ngalina forced a diving stop from Carlos Saldaña. Marlon Hairston got loose in the box just moments later after a quality through ball from Samadia, forcing a charging save from the Detroit keeper. Despite not scoring, Hartford took a positive spell of play into half time.

The opening minutes of the second half were highlighted by a phenomenal save from Renan Ribeiro, darting to a close-range shot from Rhys Williams. Michael Bryant bounced a short cross to Williams in the middle of Hartford’s box, who squared his one-timed shot low and on target. Ribeiro was up to the task, getting his left hand to the ball to keep his team level in the 57th minute.

Hartford tightened their grasp on the match after the stop by Ribeiro, enjoying 56% of possession and slowly building their attack towards a potential equalizer. Hairston, Dieng, and Triston Hodge all found open looks on goal, but were unable to challenge Sadaña.

The Athletic’s most dangerous threat came in the dying moments of the match, when a quality counter attack nearly resulted in an own goal for Detroit. Michee Ngalina raced up the left flank and into the box to meet a long ball from Jordan Scarlett, setting up a two-on-one with Dieng, who was held onside by Amooh-Mensah in between them.

Ngalina fired a low cross, and Amooh-Mensah booted his desperation clearing attempt off the shoulder of his own keeper. The heroic stop from Saldaña kept Ngalina and Dieng from connecting again and stealing three points on the road, as the final whistle blew seconds later.

Hartford’s Michee Ngalina notched his third assist, and Athletic goalie Renan Ribeiro’s two saves brings his total to 69 on the year. The 34 year old Brazilian is six saves away from surpassing Yannik Oettl for the second most in a single season in club history.

Hartford returns to action on Saturday night when they host Indy Eleven at Trinity Health Stadium beginning at 7 p.m. Teams earn three points for a win and one point for a tie.

Hartford 1, Detroit FC 1
At Detroit
Hartford (8-12-5)           1  0  — 1
Detroit (10-8-8)              1  0  — 1
Goals:  Detroit: 21’ – Morris (Kissiedou); Hartford: 17’ – Dieng (Ngalina); Shots: 9-9. Shots on target: Hartford, 4-3: Offsides: Hartford 3-2; Saves: Detroit 4-2
HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP
40 (GK) Renan Ribeiro, 5 (DF) Triston Hodge, 4 (DF) Jordan Scarlett, 15 (DF) Joseph Farrell, 29 (MF) Emmanuel Samadia, 94 (MF) Marlon Hairston, 6 (MF)Beverly Makangila, 11 (FW) Michee Ngalina, 17 (FW) Kyle Edwards (Boudadi, 64); 7 (FW) Marcus Epps (Barrera, 76′); 33 (FW) Mamadou Dieng
DETROIT CITY FC STARTING LINEUP
91 (GK) Carlos Saldaña, 17 (DF) Brett Levis (Villanueva, 70′); 30 (DF) Devon Amoo-Mensah, 5 (DF) Stephen Carroll, 12 (MF) Michael Bryant, 8 (MF) Abdoulaye Diop, 6 (MF) James Murphy, 21 (MF) Maxi Rodriguez (Amoh, 87’);, 2 (DF) Rhys Williams (Cedeño, 70′); 9 (FW) Ben Morris, 70 (MF) Laurent Kissiedou