Defender Michael DeShields (24) looks to control the ball during Saturday night’s USL Championship game against Oakland at Trinity Health Stadium. Hartford won, 2-0. (Photo courtesy Hartford Athletic)
Goalie Renan Ribeiro made six saves to help lift the Hartford Athletic to their second straight win and fourth consecutive shutout in a 2-0 win over Oakland Roots on Saturday night in USL Championship action at Trinity Health Stadium.
Hartford has held teams scoreless for the last 429 minutes of game play and have yet to allow a goal the entire month of September.
Hartford (10-12-7) climbed into ninth place in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference with the victory. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs that begin in October. Hartford is tied with Louden United with 37 points but Louden (10-10-7) has played two fewer games at this point.
The Athletic are 4-0-3 in their last seven games with their last loss coming to Rhode Island on August 10.
Hartford was on the attack right from the opening whistle with Mamadou Dieng and Beverly Makangila both getting off shots in the first ten minutes.
Moments later, on a Green and Blue attack sequence, Marlon Hairston scored his first goal of the season with 20 minutes gone in the game on just his third shot of the season, rebounding Triston Hodge’s shot just two seconds prior.
Playing a man down after Jordan Scarlett picked up a red card with 39 minutes remaining, Hartford was still able to extend their lead.
The Athletic were on the defensive end the majority of the second half, until Kyle Edwards scored his first goal of the season in the 77th minute off of a free-kick sequence assisted by Thomas Vancaeyezeele, putting Hartford up 2-0.
Part of Ribeiro six save effort featured an end of second-half stoppage time stretch of three back-to-back shots on target all being saved by the Brazilian goalkeeper.
Hartford returns to action on Saturday with a road match in Tampa Bay beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Hartford 2, Oakland Roots 0
At Hartford
Oakland (12-13-4) 0 0 — 0
Hartford (10-12-7) 1 1 — 2
Goals: 20’ – Marlon Hairston, 77’ – Kyle Edwards (Thomas Vancaeyezeele); Shots: Oakland, 19-14; Shots on target 6-6; Corner kicks: Hartford 7-2; Saves: Hartford, 6-4
HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP
40 (GK) Renan Ribeiro, 4 (DF) Jordan Scarlett, 5 (DF) Triston Hodge; 15 (DF) Joseph Farrell, 24 (DF) Michael DeShields, 6 (MF) Beverly Makangila (Asiedu, 90’); 10 (MF) Danny Barrera (Edwards, 71’); 29 (MF) Emmanuel Samadia, 94 (MF) Marlon Hairston (Vancaeyezeele, 25’); 7 (FW) Marcus Epps, 33 (FW) Mamadou Dieng
OAKLAND ROOTS STARTING LINEUP
20 (GK) Paul Blanchette, 2 (DF) Baboucarr Njie (Naider-Chery, 74’); 4 (DF) Gagi Margvelashvili, 14 (DF) Justin Rasmussen, 23 (DF) Guillermo Diaz, 6 (MF) Daniel Gómez, 8 (MF) Irakoze Donasiyano (Reid, 63’); 22 (MF) Rafael Baca, (Elmasnouy, 74’); 17 (FW) Johnny Rodriguez, 98 (FW) José Luis Sinisterra (Cruz, 90 + 1’); 15 (DF) Neveal Hackshaw
