Kaw Valley FC picks up win against shorthanded Springfield Athletic SC

Kaw Valley FC picked up an impressive 4-1 win over Springfield Athletic SC on Sunday night. Along with scores from Junior Kazeem and Quinten Blair, the Cranes forced Springfield into conceding two own goals on the night. Both teams tried to find early control of the game, but it proved to be Springfield who would open the scoring. After a Crane giveaway, Springfield used the counter-attack to perfection and opened the scoring in the 10th minute. It appeared that the Cranes had found the equalizer three minutes after Stefano Campisi slotted his shot home, but he was ruled offside leaving Kaw Valley off the board and still down a goal.
It only took another two minutes for the Cranes to find the equalizer they had been looking for after Campisi put in a cross that Junior Kazeem finished with ease to even the game at one apiece. Kazeem almost found his second goal of the game in the 31st minute with a rocketed shot, but
Springfield’s goalkeeper was quick to react and made a good save to keep Kazeem from his brace. Disaster nearly struck the Cranes in the 37th minute after Matthew Hudson fouled a Springfield attacker in the box, forcing a penalty. Lucky for Kaw Valley, Hudson made up for his mistake
with an incredible diving save to keep Springfield from retaking the lead. That proved to be the last legitimate chance of the half for either team as they entered the locker room tied. It didn’t take long for the Cranes to get rolling again in the second half with a great opportunity in the 47th minute from Campisi, but his shot forced a great save from the Springfield keeper. Only two minutes later, the Cranes found the go-ahead goal when a Campisi cross forced an own goal from Springfield to make it 2-1. Springfield nearly found the equalizer a few minutes later in the 51st, but the shot just went over the goal. Kaw Valley continued to apply pressure over the next 20 minutes but was unable to find the third goal. The patience paid off though when Quinten Blair fired home a loose ball in the box in the 81st minute to extend the Crane lead to 3-1. They would find another late goal, another own goal by Springfield, in stoppage time to make it 4-1, which would be the final score.

Kaw Valley FC will hit the road for Chicago when they face Chicago FC United on Thursday. Kickoff has yet be set.