OCEAN CITY, NJ – The club’s first team (2-5-4, 10 points) fell to the Ocean City Nor’easters (3-3-3, 12 points) on Saturday night, by a score of 3-1 at Carey Stadium in New Jersey. The first team remains winless and draw-less at “The Beach House” dating back to 2014. The club lost alternate captain Conor McGlynn to a double-yellow card ejection in the 81’ minute of play. The Siena product will be suspended in the next contest at Cedar Stars Rush on Saturday. The Nor’easters come into the contest having four games in hand on the first-team, having just drawn against the Red Bull on Friday night. The opponent tallied three unanswered goals in the second 45’ minutes to stun the visiting first team.
Traveling down to the boardwalk with a slew of players on the shelf included Nermin Buljubasic, Sory Konate, Johann Weatherly, Adam Marcu, Thriston Briscoe, Johan Mauritzson, Troy Carrington, Dylan Scanley, and DeAndre Gordon. Head Coach Joe Balsamo had to get a bit creative with the return of two key players, which included the likes of forward Karamba Janneh and defender Kalley Muntaha, and the suspension of forward Filippo Tamburini as well.
The home team got things started right away with a one-on-one opportunity for Claudio Repetto, as he shot one directly on target. Goalkeeper Babacarr Ceesay earned his first save of the evening just five minutes into the match. Five minutes following the Repetto shot, USL Top 100 watch list selection, Deri Corfe got his first chance, as his shot went sailing over the American football uprights. Seven minutes following the second shot for Ocean City, midfielder Ryan Inman’s shot on goal went centimeters wide of Ceesay for the team’s third shot of the contest. At the 21’ minute of action, first team forward Karamba Janneh went one on one with an opposing defender, as his shot went just wide. Janneh’s shot, 21 minutes into the contest, was the club’s first of the match.
Both clubs coming into the contest separated by a single point, became the talk on the field, that led to trash talk on the field, and further. Midfielder Kwadwo Kwashie was fouled in the 24’ minute of action, where the first team was awarded a free-kick. Kwashie’s kick went into the mitts of goalkeeper Jan Hoffelner. Not too long following the free-kick, Ocean City was granted one as well due to a yellow-card caution issued to veteran Robi Sillah. In the stoppage time of the first 45’ minutes of action, a shot from Jordan Schwartz, went directly into the mitts of Hoffelner, but couldn’t handle it. The ball would fall in the path of Karamba Janneh, where he scored the icebreaker, and the team’s first goal of the contest, while proceeding into the locker room ahead by one.
Coming out of the locker room, Ocean City came out flying, with early shots and crosses that put the team ahead with four shots to none within the first 15 minutes of action. In the 61’ minute of action, midfielder Brandon Smalley sent a cross to Deri Corfe, and the mini tip became the equalizer past the diving Babacarr Ceesay for the first goal of the night for the home team. Just minutes following the goal, multiple shots were saved by the first team, and were luckily shied away at the final moments prior to crossing the line.
Needing a spark from the bench, head coach Joe Balsamo decided to switch Kwadwo Kwashie with forward Valentyn Kharko in the 70’ minute. Seven minutes following the change, Deri Corfe scored the second goal of the contest, and his team’s second as well, to put Ocean City up by one. Following the goal, tempers began to flare that resulted in a double-yellow ejection for alternate captain and midfielder Conor McGlynn. McGlynn will now be suspended for the upcoming contest at Cedar Stars Rush. The final goal came in stoppage time from Claudio Repetto, as the Ocean City Nor’easters completed the improbable and emotional come-back to earn a trio of points, and leapfrog the first team in a tight Mid-Atlantic Division.
UP NEXT:
The club’s first team concludes their three-game road trip next Saturday, June 29 for a 7:30 p.m. match, when they visit the Cedar Stars Rush at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.