The Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL) prevailed 3-1 in the First Round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup against Philadelphia’s Junior Lone Star (USASA). With the win, the Nor’easters will move on to host the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL) in Round 2 on May 17.
The victory gives the Nor’easters 10 Open Cup wins as a franchise, nine of those coming as a member of the PDL. Nine wins ranks third among all amateur teams in the country in the Modern Era (Michigan Bucks 14, Des Moines Menace 12).
Ocean City started the game firing going ahead in the 4th minute through Fredlin Mompremier. Ignacio Tellechea collected the assist after sending the ball from the corner to the far post. Mompremier hit a first time effort under the keeper in the bottom corner.
It did not take long for the hosts to double their lead. In the 11th minute, English midfielder Tyler Collishaw tapped home an easy effort after a cross from Ismael Noumansana to give Ocean City the 2-0 lead.
The hosts were dominant in the first half and even looked liked they could have grabbed a third goal a few times, but Junior Lone Star goalkeeper, Prince Monyan played a huge role in keeping his team in the game headed into the break.
Junior Lone Star assistant coach, Charlie Flowe, said that they were a “second half team.” He praised their fitness and said that it kept them in the game.
That proved to be true as JLS started the second half with three players at the back as they brought on Joshua Chelleh to give the struggling Anthony Allison some help up top. This would change the match, giving the JLS a spark starting in the 48th minute. Allison hit a curling shot that nearly found the side netting, but later he was denied by the right post.
Junior Lone Star continued to create chances and it finally paid off in the 62nd minute as Koussai N’Guessan slotted home Yaya Fane’s cross to score the first Open Cup goal in club history.
They continued to fight for the equalizer but it was a second half sub that paid off for Ocean City’s first-year head coach John Thompson. After inserting Akeil Barrett, who helped the Swope Park Rangers win the USL title last year, he set up the clinching goal. Barrett made a run through the JLS defense and set up Collishaw for his second goal of the game in the 82nd minute. With the goal, Collishaw becomes the second Ocean City player in history to score multiple goals in a US Open Cup game.
Late in the second half, Junior Lone Star midfielder Zoncher Dennis, a former Ocean City player, was sent off for a second bookable offense which hurt their chances of a late comeback.