MacKinnon’s late goal propels Greenville to 1-0 shutout
Richmond, VA (May 18, 2024) – The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club defeated the Richmond Kickers 1-0 on the road Saturday night after a late goal from Greenville forward Lyam MacKinnon allowed the Triumph to take the lead en route to the win. Three points in hand, the Triumph regained its position at the top of the USL League One table with a 5-2-1 regular season record.
Greenville was first out of the gate, driving up the flanks at Richmond. However midway through the first 45’ the currents shifted and the home side thwarted Greenville’s monopoly of the ball. The remainder of the half was characterized by a tense deadlock, with neither team capitalizing on their opportunities in front of goal. Despite the ball slingshotting from endline to endline, the lack of offensive action kept the scoreboard barren, setting the stage for either site to take control in the second half.
The teams returned from the locker rooms still stalled 0-0, but the game quickly intensified after the break. In the 48th minute, Greenville’s Leo Castro found himself with a direct shot on goal, but Richmond’s Ryan Shellow batted it away. Moments later, Daniel Wu finished off a lobbed ball into the Kickers box, just to be disallowed for offsides. With the clock ticking down, it was Triumph leading scorer Lyam MacKinnon who rose to the occasion. In the 85th minute, MacKinnon seized a golden opportunity to put his team ahead as he separated from his defender on a long pass from Nate Shultz and buried the ball into the back of the net with a clinical finish.
Mackinnon’s late goal not only secured the crucial 1-0 victory for the Triumph but also marked his sixth goal of the season, allowing him to extend his lead in the Golden Boot race and cement Greenville in the top position among League One. Greenville will travel to Washington next Saturday to face Spokane Velocity FC in a 9 p.m. EST match for the USL Jägermeister Cup. The team will return home to Paladin Stadium on Sunday, June 2nd, in an afternoon match versus the Chattanooga Red Wolves. Tickets are on sale now.
