Med City FC faced off against Sioux Falls Thunder FC on Saturday night, May 15, and the team certainly lived up to its “90 Minutes of Mayhem” billing, scoring a game-winning goal in the 93rd minute to claim a 4-3 come-from-behind victory in its opening conference game of 2021!
The season looked to be starting on a sour note for Med City FC, as two quick goals by Thunder forward Stevenson Storm gave Sioux Falls a 2-0 lead after just eight minutes. The Mayhem would regroup from its slow start, however, and find the net twice in the first half, as well. Med City made it 2-1 in the 18th minute, as center back Ayrton Redmore got his head to midfielder Lucas Hart’s corner kick and sent it past Thunder goalkeeper Federico Simonetti. Redmore would score a second goal in the 41st minute, getting the slightest of touches on a free kick from midfielder Kolton Prater, the ball just crossing the goal line to tie the score at 2-2. That’s how the first half would end.
Sioux Falls restored its lead in just the 52nd minute, as Stephen Ayodele volleyed a corner kick from the top of the box that hit the post and went in to restore the Thunder’s lead at 3-2. Redmore thought he had leveled for the Mayhem with another header in the 68th minute, but the goal was ruled out by an offside call. Med City FC’s third goal did come, however, as a Kolton Prater corner kick was only tipped by Thunder keeper Simonetti, finding its way to the back post where Mayhem forward Mazeed Aro-Lambo was waiting to tap in from close range.
Med City FC wasn’t done just yet. Nice work from substitute midfielder Gilmair Lobo Oliveira and a slick pass to Aro-Lambo created a late opportunity for the Mayhem as Aro-Lambo was fouled just outside the box. Hart would send a dangerous free kick into the box and Mayhem captain Jack Hilton-Jones would get his head to it, guiding it into the net for a goal. It gave Med City FC a 4-3 lead, their first of the game. Sioux Falls FC worked to get the equalizer, but the Mayhem held on in the last few minutes of stoppage time to grab an exhilarating win.
There were several outstanding performers for the Mayhem, with Ayrton Redmore scoring two goals, and Kolton Prater and Lucas Hart each notching two assists. Jack Hilton-Jones was named Man of the Match, however, with his game-winning goal capping a fine evening for the central defensive midfielder.
“This was a real character-building win for our guys,” said Med City FC general manager Frank Spaeth. “To face that much adversity in the first game of the season, and their first game together, and to persevere and pull out the win was simply amazing. We tell the fans that they’ll see 90 minutes of Mayhem when they come to our matches and that was definitely the case tonight!”
The win gets Med City FC off to a 1-0 start, while Sioux Falls Thunder FC falls to 0-2 after losing to Minneapolis City SC last weekend 3-0, while playing with ten men for 46 of the game’s 90 minutes.
