Hartford Athletic Roar Back to Claim Three Points in Oakland

Three second-half goals gave the Latics yet another result away from home as they moved to the brink of the playoffs.

Hartford Athletic shook off a sluggish first half and turned things around in the second half at the Oakland Coliseum, with goals from Josh Belluz, Kyle Edwards and Beverly Makangila earning them a 3-1 victory over Oakland Roots on Tuesday night. The result ran Hartford’s unbeaten road streak to 13 games.

In the first half, Hartford looked very much like a team that had been on the road for the better part of two weeks, and was perhaps also trying to shake off the after effects of their deserved celebrations for their Jägermeister Cup victory on Saturday. The hosts were in almost total control right from the opening whistle, with John Berner forced into action in the fourth minute, tipping Camden Riley’s volleyed effort over the bar.

As much as Oakland were in control, Hartford were simply very sloppy, giving the ball away cheaply, and seemingly lacking any sense of being on the same page. Oakland made the pressure pay right on the half-hour, with Peter Wilson continuing his scintillating form. Riley whipped in an excellent ball across the face of goal, and Wilson had an easy finish for his seventh goal in his last five games.

Wilson continued to lurk in the box, and probably should have doubled his side’s lead a few minutes later, but this time he could not quite find the right touch. Other opportunities for the hosts also went begging, as they continued to ratchet things up and looked to put the game away but they were unable to add to their lead.

At halftime, Hartford had hardly been in the game, and truthfully, Oakland should have been out of sight. The Latics had failed to attempt a single shot through the first 45 minutes, ultimately being outshot 12-0 and displaying none of their trademark efficiency in going forward. Nonetheless, the game was still in reach, if they could find their way out of park in the second half.

Brendan Burke went to his bench at the half, bringing on Kyle Edwards and Michee Ngalina to replace Adewale Obalola and Jonathan Jimenez. The substitutes — and presumably Burke’s half-time team-talk — brought immediate results as the Latics looked more lively in the attacking third from the jump.

It took them just over ten minutes to find the equalizer, and it came from a set piece. Jack Panayotou whipped in a corner, and Josh Belluz rose above everyone and connected with a powerful header that left Oakland keeper Raphael Spiegel no chance. The goal was a first for Belluz in the USL Championship

Eight minutes later, Hartford took the lead, this time through Kyle Edwards, with Panayotou again the provider. A turnover in midfield gave the Latics a quick break, and Panayotou played in Edwards, who made no mistake in slotting the ball past Spiegel. The goal was Edwards’ 12th of the season, tying him with Mamadou Dieng for the most goals in a single season in all competitions in club history. It was also his eighth off the bench this season, moving him into sole possession of the single-season USL scoring record for a substitute. Edwards now has 13 goals off the bench for his USL Championship career, good for sixth all-time.

In and around those goals for Hartford, Oakland still carried an attacking threat, but managed only three shots across the second 45 minutes. Roots were unable to quite find the right last ball in the final third, and what attempts they did manage on goal were tame or inaccurate.

Hartford put the game to bed late in second half stoppage time. Michee Ngalina turned a defender out on the left-hand side near the endline and dribbled into the box. His cut-back found Samuel Careaga, who laid the ball off for Beverly Makangila, who hammered it home for his first of the season. It’s the third consecutive season in which Makangila has scored for Hartford, joining Kyle Edwards, Danny Barrera and Conor McGlynn as only the fourth player to do so in club history.

The win aso moved the Latics up into third place in the Eastern Conference — ahead of NCFC by virtue of a tie-breaker — and to the brink of playoff qualification. One more point, or one more point dropped by Indy Eleven, will be enough for Hartford to secure a first playoff appearance since 2020.

The first chance will come on Saturday, when it hosts Sacramento Republic in an immediate rematch of last weekend’s Jägermeister Cup final.