Kickers score four behind braces from Josh Kirkland and Darwin Espinal
The Richmond Kickers (3-3-1, 10pts) found a hard fought draw with Westchester SC on Saturday night. In the 4-4 draw, Darwin Espinal and Josh Kirkland each scored a brace on the night. Darwin found his first in the second minute and Josh Kirkland’s second on the night — and of his professional career — came in the last minutes of stoppage time.
With in a minute and a half, Hayden Anderson won the ball with a header and found Darwin Espinal on the run who shook off clinging defenders and went for goal. Espinal buried the opener and gave the Kickers the early lead.
Westchester answered in the 7th with a lucky touch off a clearance from Sneddon that found the back of the net.
Midway through the half, Chandler O’Dwyer and Matt Bolduc both found an opening but would send the ball just over the cross bar.
Westchester earned a free kick just outside the box in the 27th minute. Sneddon took off as the shot came in and dove wide left to knock it off frame and force a corner that he quickly corralled.
O’Dwyer won the ball and saw an opening in the 30th, trying to to catch Jacomen off his line but the keeper got in position in time to deny the attempt.
In the 32nd minute, Espinal would push again. Young gun Griffin Garnett found Nils Seufert who sent a long ball to Espinal, on the run once again. He won the ball, beat two defenders, shook past the goal keeper and sent it into an open net to find the lead the second time.
The Kickers would head into the locker room at half with the lead and hold it through the 53rd minute. Then, a long, somewhat unexpected shot from Samory Powder allowed Westchester to tie it.
Kirkland wouldn’t let that stand though, as Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatsky said in post match, Kirkland served as a “super sub” tonight. Coming on in the 58th minute, he scored six minutes later. The Richmond native received the ball just over midfield, found O’Dwyer and then took off for goal. O’Dwyer sent a beautiful through ball to the 24 year old and Kirkland found the back of the net for the first time in his professional career.
Westchester found two more: one in the 84th and another off a penalty kick that seemed to leave the Richmond faithful audibly confused.
With barely any stoppage time left though, the Kickers got it done. Lining up 11 men on the half line to kickoff, the Kickers drove quickly. The Kickers won the free kick and Maxi Schenfeld found O’Dwyer who assisted Kirkland again and crossed the ball to his feet. Kirkland did what he needed and buried the final goal in the last seconds of the match.
The Kickers return to the pitch next Saturday for Jägermeister Cup play at Louisville City. Then, the following Friday, the Kickers are back at home on the City Stadium pitch to take on Greenville Triumph. Get your tickets now at richmondkickers.com/tickets.
