Forward Madison took all three points against Richmond Kickers on Friday evening, winning 2-1 in USL League One Group Stage action. The visitors had been steady throughout, sitting third in the table with 43 points from 23 games. Richmond, meanwhile, sat 17th on 19 points after 22 matches. The result tightened the gap between the sides.
R. Torres opened the scoring for Richmond in the second minute, a quick strike that caught the home crowd off guard. The match settled into a rhythm, though to be fair, neither side created much. G. Kanyane picked up a yellow card at 13 minutes, and Torres was booked himself at 26. I remember watching the twentieth minute closely — the kind of minute where you see if a game is going to open up or stay closed. By then, it was staying closed.
E. Munjoma equalised for Forward Madison at 58 minutes, a well-taken goal that shifted the momentum. The home side responded with changes, bringing on H. Hanson at 41 and then making a double substitution at half-time with C. McCamy and G. Kanyane for the visitors. T. Freeman added a yellow for Richmond at 64, and then E. Munjoma came off at 69. The game was still level, but something was building in the final quarter.
The drama came at the death. H. Anderson received a yellow at 90+1 before being shown red just two minutes later. That left Richmond a man down with moments remaining. J. Kirkland found the net for Forward Madison at 90+6, and the visitors held on. The old head settled them down after the red card. C. Ngoubou also went off on a booking at 90+1, and the home side had no answer.
Forward Madison now sit on 46 points, moving further clear of those chasing them. Richmond remain on 19 points after their thirteenth defeat, a run that has seen them dropped to seventeenth. The table goes out of the window in these games, but this result showed the difference between a side that can close out a match and one that cannot. Three points, one moment, and the season takes another turn.
