Charleston Battery News Release - www.charlestonbattery.com

Friday, September 11, 2009

CHARLESTON, SC -- The Charleston Battery closed out its 2009 regular season home schedule with a 2-1 win over the Miami FC Blues Friday night at Blackbaud Stadium. Darren Spicer put the Battery in the lead in the 30th minute and Scott Buete notched the game winner in second half injury time.

“It was starting to look like one of those games where you go and outplay the other team for 89 minutes but only get a point out of it,” said Battery head coach Mike Anhaeuser. ”Overall I thought we deserved the three points.”

The Battery ceased control of the match early and maintained control throughout the match, maintaining the majority of possession.

But it took the Battery half an hour to finally get on the score sheet with a spectacular diving header from Spicer. John Wilson started the play, springing Randi Patterson with a long ball down the left touchline. Patterson beat his defender to the ball and sent a low cross into the six-yard box, finding the diving Spicer at the near post.

The goal was is fifth in 29 appearances for the Battery this season.

The Battery kept up the intensity in the second half, but could not parlay their midfield dominance into a goal. The club’s inability to connect in the final third bit them in the 73rd minute when former Battery forward Aaron King leveled the score after a breakdown in the Battery back line. King slipped between two Battery defenders inside of 12 yards to slot home a Bryan Shriver cross.

Wanting three points in the club’s final home match before the playoffs begin September 24, the Battery pushed for a game winner. Second half substitute Dan Antoniuk missed a golden opportunity after a nice buildup with Stephen Armstrong down the left flank, pushing the ball over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.

But Antoniuk redeemed himself a minute into injury time, causing enough confusion for Buete to squeak in a 40 bomb intended for Antoniuk. Miami defender Gale Agbossoumonde swung to clear Buete’s searching ball into the penalty area but did not connect as goalkeeper Kenny Schoeni closed in on him. Shcoeni could not react in time as the ball squirted through his legs and into the goal.

“I have to be honest, I didn’t mean to shot that. I just wanted to get it into the penalty area and hope someone could get on the end of it,” Buete said.

The goal was Buete’s third in 29 appearances since joining the club at the beginning of the season.

“Sometimes better lucky than good,” Anhaeuser said. “Well take the three points on the road and come back ready to play in the playoffs.”

The win puts the Battery at 13-5-10 (49 points) on the season, level with the Carolina RailHawks in third place in the league table.

The Battery close out the season with two games on the road: September 18 at Rochester and September 20 at Minnesota. The playoffs begin September 24. The opponent and location for the home and away first round series is yet to be determined.

For playoff ticket information call 843-971-GOAL or go to wwww.charlestonbattery.com.