Hartford Athletic claimed a famous win on Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium, as they ended the Tampa Bay Rowdie’s 15-game unbeaten streak to start the season. A first-half goal from Sebastian Anderson was the difference, as the Hartford defense withstood an onslaught from the hosts to keep their ninth clean sheet of the season and take all three points back to Connecticut.
Brendan Burke’s men came out in a 4-5-1, a defensive formation that invited the Rowdies to attack. Their best chance in this stretch came when Marco Micaletto unleashed from just outside the box in the 13th minute following a corner, but Antony Siaha saw it the entire way and saved comfortably.
The Rowdies dominance of the ball produced no goals, however, and it was Hartford who struck first in the 20th minute. Baboucarr Njie played in a dangerous cross which was only partially cleared, with the ball falling to Samuel Careaga at the top of the box. The midfielder unleashed a venomous shot that Austin Pack did well to parry away, but he could only push it to the feet of Sebastian Anderson, who buried the rebound to put the Latics up 1-nil.
Tampa continued to pour forward, with Evan Conway unable to find the target from close range before Antony Siaha was called into action again in the 40th minute. Pedro Dolabella got his head on a corner and Siaha made an incredible reaction save to deny the Rowdies the equalizer, with Careaga clearing the rebound off the line.
Despite the onslaught there was no breakthrough for the hosts, and the Latics took their 1-0 lead down the tunnel on the half-time whistle. The second half was much the same, with the hosts dominating the ball and attempting another 13 shots. Their best look came in the 77th minute, when MD Myers turned at the top of the box and fired on goal, but Siaha was alert to the danger and got down well to snuff out the opportunity.
Hartford had little of the ball, but did have chances to increase the lead in the second half. In the 70th minute, a long ball from Diz Pe found Sebastian Anderson down the right hand side. The fullback did well to keep the ball in play and beat his man, bursting forward and playing the ball into the box ahead of Michee Ngalina, but the forward’s shot lacked power or purpose and was easily gathered by Austin Pack in the Tampa net.
Emmanuel Samadia also had a chance to put the game beyond all doubt late in second-half stoppage time, bursting forward with teammates to either side of him and only one Rowdies defender in the box. The full back opted to shoot when it might have been a better decision to pick out one of his teammates, and the shot was saved by Pack.
Tampa Bay pushed forward once more, but couldn’t put the ball on frame, and the whistle blew on a massive three points for Hartford Athletic.
