Danny Barrera Sparks Hartford Athletic to Win Over NCFC
Club legend provides two goals and an assist as the Latics stay in the playoff hunt
In need of a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, Hartford Athletic turned to their longest-tenured player to get the job done.
Midfielder Danny Barerra — the only player remaining with the club from the 2019 inaugural season and making his 147th league appearance for Hartford — provided two goals and an assist to spark the Latics past North Carolina FC and stay within touching distance of a playoff place.
Hartford came out of the gates with good energy and took the lead inside ten minutes. Barrera collected the ball out on the right and cut inside, before unleashing a shot from just outside the box that dipped past NCFC keeper Jake McGuire and into the back of the net. The goal made Barrera the first player to score for Hartford in six different seasons.
The Latics doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when Marlon Hairston played an early ball over the top, and Barrera kept himself onside long enough to break the NCFC trap. He controlled the ball well and guided it past McGuire for his second of the night, and his 17th all-time for Hartford Athletic, extending his club record.
Hartford thought they had extended their lead again in the 48th minute, when Hairston collected a loose ball and let fly from distance with the ball cannoning down off the crossbar, but the goal was not given, despite replays clearly indicating that the ball had crossed the line.
Brushing off the minor setback, the Latics did record their third goal in the 56th minute and this time Barrera turned provider. His outswinger found Beverly Makangila, whose glancing header tucked into the far corner. The assist was the 33rd Barrera has recorded in his Hartford career and his 53rd in the USL Championship, covering 10 seasons with three different clubs.
The Latics seemingly put the game to bed in the 63rd game, when Barrera played a lovely ball that set Michee Ngalina free on the left. The winger crossed for Mamadou Dieng, who finished well for his 10th of the season, tying him with Juan Carlos Obregon Jr and Prince Saydee for the most goals in a single season in club history.
NCFC put up a fight however, scoring three times in the last quarter of an hour to make it a nervy finish for Hartford fans. Evan Conway, Rodrigo Da Costa, and Justin Malou all scored following NCFC corners and when the visitors were awarded another corner in the closing seconds of stoppage time, the home fans were on the edge of their seats. It came to nothing, however, and the whistle blew on a 4-3 Hartford victory.