Bristol Rhythm AFC Defeats Statesville FC, 2-0, in Southeast Conference Action

Bristol Rhythm AFC continued its strong start to the season Saturday night with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Statesville FC at Gene Malcolm Stadium.

The Rhythm controlled possession early and created several quality chances in the opening half, but were unable to find the breakthrough.  The match quickly turned into a physical battle, with both sides fighting for every opportunity.  Despite chances from both clubs, the first half ended scoreless at 0-0.

Bristol came out of halftime with a relentless mentality, increasing the pressure and tempo throughout the second half.  Head coach Dave Neijenhuis once again leaned on the club’s depth, using fresh legs and quality substitutions to change the pace of the match.

The breakthrough finally came in the 73rd minute when Nathan Booth moved up top, hustled onto a play, and found the back of the net to give the Rhythm a 1-0 lead and ignite the home crowd.

The pressure never stopped.  Late in the second half, James Bakou made a sensational attacking run and was fouled inside the box, earning Bristol a penalty kick opportunity.  Elliott Edwards stepped up and calmly buried the penalty into the lower right corner to extend the lead to 2-0.

The Rhythm controlled the remainder of the match, but Statesville had one final opportunity to spoil the clean sheet.  Milligan University goalkeeper Florian Quast came up with an incredible acrobatic save, tipping the ball over the net to preserve the shutout. 

With the win, Bristol Rhythm AFC improves to 2-0 for the first time in club history and earns another important three points in front of Rhythm Nation.

Photo Credit: Austin Pantaleo