Hartford prevails in home finale to keep playoff hopes alive

Hartford Athletic veteran Danny Barrera had two goals and an assist in Saturday night’s 4-3 USL Championship win over North Carolina in Hartford. (Photo courtesy Hartford Athletic)

HARTFORD, Oct. 12, 2024 – Veteran Danny Barrera had two goals and an assist while Marlon Hairston had two assists as the Hartford Athletic kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-3 USL Championship victory over North Carolina FC at Trinity Health Stadium before a sellout crowd on Saturday night.

In the final home game of the season, Hartford (11-13-7, 40 points) had a four-goal lead before North Carolina scored three times in the final 26 minutes to close the gap.

North Carolina (11-12-9, 42 points) currently sits in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Athletic are two points back with 40 points with three road games remaining. North Carolina has just two matches left.

Hartford closes out the 2024 campaign with matches at Tulsa (Saturday, Oct. 19) and at Orange County on Saturday, Oct. 26. They also have a road match with Tampa Bay, postponed due to the arrival of Hurricane Helene in September, to play.

Back to back connections between Barrera, 34, and Hairston started In the ninth minute, when Barrera received the ball from Hariston just outside the top right side of the box. Barrera took a touch and powered his shot low, bouncing the ball past the diving North Carolina goalie Jacob McGuire.

Keeping their foot on the gas, Hartford added a second goal in the 33rd minute when Hairston found Barrera a second time for a 2-0 lead. With the score, Barrera extended his club record to 18 career goals. He also has a club-leading 32 career assists.

Hartford extended their lead to 3-0 early in the second half. At the 56th minute, Beverly Makangila found the back of the net off a corner kick feed from Barrera. The Congolese midfielder won the outswinging aerial ball from Barrera, floating his header up and over McGuire to the bottom right corner.

Mamadou Dieng and Michee Ngalina were the next linkup for Hartford in the 63rd minute. Chasing down a lead ball from Barrera, Ngalina squared a low cross to the middle of the box for Dieng, who poked his shot to the near post for a 4-0 lead.

North Carolina did not fade away, scoring three goals and forcing an excellent save from Renan Ribeiro in stoppage time.

Evan Conway got the visitors on the board in the 74th, followed by a Rodrigo Da Costa header that found the back of the net off a corner, and another from Justin Malou in the first minute of stoppage time. A minute later, Evan Conway forced a heroic save from Renan Ribeiro. North Carolina’s leading goal scorer got loose in the attacking third with three defenders on his back, fired his shot low from the top right of the box, but the charging Ribeiro made a kick save with his right foot to keep Hartford in front.

Hartford Athletic 4, North Carolina FC 1
At Hartford
North Carolina FC (11-12-9)      0  3  — 3
Hartford (11-13-7)                        2  2  – 4
Goals: Hartford: — Danny Barrera 9’ (Assist: Marlon Hairston); Danny Barrera 33’ (Marlon Hairston), Beverly Makangila 56’ (Danny Barrera); Mamadou Dieng 64’(Michee Ngalina); North Carolina: — Evan Conway 74’ (Jacori Hayes); Rodrigo Da Costa 83’ (Michael Maldonado); Justin Malou 90 + 1’ (Michael Maldonado); Saves—Renan Riberiro (H) 4, Jacob McGuire (NC) 1; Shots: North Carolina 20-9; Shots on target: North Carolina, 7-5; Corner kicks: North Carolina, 10-3
HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP
40 (GK) Renan Ribeiro, 15 (DF) Joseph Farrell, 24 (DF) Michael DeShields, 6 (MF) Beverly Makangila, 7 (FW) Marcus Epps, 12 (MF) Anderson Asiedu, 10 (MF) Danny Barrera (Freeman, 90 + 1’); 94 (MF) Marlon Hairston (Boudadi, 73’); 11 (FW) Michee Ngalina, 33 (FW) Mamadou Dieng, 4 (DF) Jordan Scarlett
NORTH CAROLINA FC STARTING LINEUP
1 (GK) Jacob McGuire, 7 (DF) Lamar Batista, 8 (MF) Louis Perez (Sommersall, 70’); 11 (FW) Evan Conway, 14 (FW) Rafael Mentzingen, 15 (MF) Michael Maldonado, 16 (MF) Rodrigo Da Costa, 17 (MF) Collin Martin (Hayes, 70’); 27 (DF) Bryce Washington (Malou, 78’); 42 (DF) Ezra Armstrong, 2 (DF) Paco Craig