Espinal answers in the 50th minute with a gorgeous strike after Barnathan wins the ball
The Richmond Kickers (2-2-0, 6 pts) fell 1-2 to Forward Madison (1-1-0, 3 pts) in a gritty, hard-fought first leg of the Henny Derby.
The Richmond Kickers saw the first real chance of the match about eight minutes in when Matt Bolduc received a ball on the right side and drove right into the box, shaking defenders left and right and losing center back Jake Crull entirely. He took a shot as he drove in but Wallis Lapsley got a hand to it.
The Kickers would earn another corner in the 20th minute, Maxi Schenfeld drove the ball right onto the head of who guided it into the far post but it dinged off the metal and back out.
Making an attempt of their own, Madison would look to goal three times in 5 minutes. With only one defender back Devin Boyce drove at Sneddon but the 19 year old keeper stood tall and made the save. From there, Madison earned a corner and a free kick, both of which Sneddon claimed and cut the play short.
The Kickers would march back down off the punt from Sneddon. Madison headed it back out of their own baseline, for a Kickers corner. Nils Seufert sent the ball in, Klaidi Cela got a head to it, but the ball went slightly too high.
In the 40th minute, a corner bounced around in the Kickers box with several saves from Sneddon before Derek Gebhard found the rebound and sent the ball in for the first goal of the night.
The Kickers came out hot in the second. In the 46th minute, Darwin Espinal took a beautiful low shot on goal that had Lapsley confused but deflected off a Madison defender for another corner.
Madison scored a second goal in transition, but the Kickers would not back down.
Once the ball kicked off again, the two teams exchanged possession and forced a 50/50 ball at midfield. Kickers Captain Dakota Barnathan won it and sent it to Espinal. Espinal received it and streaked up the left side, shook a defender at the top of the box and ripped a screamer into the upper 90.
The Kickers would keep driving after that but Madison slowed way down and would hold the lead 2-1 through the end of the match.
Sneddon had four saves on the night
