ROCK HILL, SC— Josh Mort's first career goal came at the right time as it turned out to be the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Gardner-Webb, Thursday evening in Big South Conference men's soccer action.
Winthrop's Miquel Casajuana served a corner kick into the box that was sent back across the goal mouth where it was initially headed by Adam Skonicki. His header went across to Nick Kowalski, who then headed the ball toward the goal where Tomas Brennan flicked it toward the top right corner. Adam Garcia dove and made the save, but the rebound came out toward Mort and he hammered the ball into the back of the net one time from 10 yards away.
With the victory, Winthrop improves to 5-9-1 overall and 3-4 in the conference while the Runnin' Bulldogs are now 5-10 overall and 3-3 in the league.
Gardner-Webb got on the scoreboard first in the 21st minute on an own goal by the Eagles. Stephen Maxwell served a corner kick into the box and a Winthrop defender tried to clear the ball on a short hop, but the ball deflected sideways and into the net.
Winthrop got the equalizer one second before the end of the first half thanks to some extra hustle by Brennan. After Matt Stinson forced a ball off a Runnin' Bulldogs defender to get a corner kick with about 12 seconds left, Brennan ran after the ball to swing one in and get one before the half. The ball came to the near post and bounced off a defenders back right to Skonicki, who ripped the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box just before the sound of the horn.
There were a couple of opportunities for Gardner-Webb to make it a 2-0 game in the final five minutes. Romeo Kabanda received a pass from Chijioke Akujuobi and dribbled two Winthrop defenders inside the box and ripped a shot to the lower left corner, but the shot slid just wide. With about a minute and a half left, Nicolas Wrobel found himself wide open from about 12 yards out of the goal, but lost control of the ball as he turned. The ball bounced back out to Kabanda, who ripped a one-touch shot but the shot was right at Michael Flato for the save.
Skonicki nearly put the game away in the 80th minute as he was set up with a one-on-one with Garcia on a through ball from Casajuana. Skonicki took a couple of dribbles and fired a shot to the left corner of the goal as Garcia came out, but the shot hit the post and bounced away.
At that point Gardner-Webb put on the pressure and had several good chances to tie the match. With just over six minutes remaining, Marius Hammersmark served a ball back into the box off a corner and over the Winthrop defense as Adam Augruso ran on and was wide open, but his timing was just off and missed the chance for a shot from six yards out. Wrobel tried to tie the match in the 86th minute when he had a look from 12 yards away off a loose ball, but his shot sailed high. The last chance for Gardner-Webb came in the 89th minute on a shot from Akujuobi as he settled a free kick and turned to rip a shot from 10 yards away that sailed right over the bar. Flato made a big save in the 72nd minute when Maxwell ripped a one touch shot off a pass that was headed to the lower left corner, but was tipped just wide by Flato.
Casajuana could have made it a 3-1 game in the 90th minute when he set himself up with a one-on-one after a flick around the defender, but his shot missed low and right. Winthrop nearly broke the tie prior to Mort's goal as Matt Horn headed a long corner kick by Casajuana toward an open goal, but the shot was cleared off the line by a Gardner-Webb defender.
Gardner-Webb finished with a 23-17 shot advantage while Garcia finished with three saves and Flato had eight. Both teams played physical as there were a total of 29 fouls.
Winthrop will remain at home for its next contest when it hosts Marshall at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30 in the final home game of the season. Gardner-Webb returns home for its final two games of the season and will face Presbyterian College on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
