Charleston BatterY secured a narrow victory against Laudun United in the USL Championship Group Stage, winning 1-0 at home on Saturday evening. The result moved the visitors closer to the top of the standings while Laudun dropped points at home.
L. Blackstock proved decisive with the only goal of the match at 64 minutes, finding the net after a period of sustained pressure. Before that moment, both sides created their share of chances — Laudun generated three big opportunities compared to Charleston's single one, but efficiency matters more than volume.
The visitors controlled possession at 55 per cent and completed 440 passes against Laudun's 331. Laudun threw more shots at the goal — 13 compared to Charleston's 2 on target — yet only managed to convert one of their biggest chances. By then, Charleston had already shifted their approach into something more direct, and the decision to play on the counter worked.
N. Messer and M. Foster picked up yellow cards for Laudun in the first half, while G. Lomtadze joined them for Charleston at 62 minutes. The match saw six substitutions across both sides, with Laudun bringing on C. Torres early at 17 minutes and making changes at 57, 75 and 85 minutes. Charleston responded at 62 and 76 minutes.
After the game, Laudun remain in 10th place with 20 points from 22 matches — three wins, 11 draws and eight defeats. Charleston sit second with 39 points from 23 games, their tally built on 12 victories, three draws and eight losses. The gap between them narrows as the group stage progresses, and Charleston's away win could prove significant.