Revs Ground Railhawks in Ejection-Riddled Match

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - The New England Revolution defeated the Carolina RailHawks 2-1 in overtime Tuesday night to advance to the U.S. Open Cup Final for just the second time in team history.

The match not only saw three goals, but three ejections and probably could've seen more as poorly timed slide tackles and a lack of control over the game by the referees led to an overly rough competition. The RailHawks scored first, but after a scuffle in the 39th minute left both teams with 10 men, Jeff Larentowicz scored the equalizer with a diving header. Then, Pat Noonan, making his return from injury, scored the winner in overtime.

Carolina took the lead in just the 6th minute after a ball from Jonny Steele caught the Revs backline unaware and allowed Anthony Maher to sneak in and hammer it past 'keeper Matt Reis from 15 yards out for the 1-0 lead.

"I don't know what the reason was, but we did [start slow]," said Noonan. "We were able to come back from it, which was good, but it wasn't a very good start and we started after the goal to put pressure on them. It's not that good when you have to wait until they get a goal before you get going, but we adjusted."

The Revs were without leading scorer Taylor Twellman, who was out with the flu. Defender Jay Heaps also missed the match due to injury, but the Revs still gave the crowd of 4,203 something to cheer about.

Noonan had a few early chances. One came in the 11th minute, but his header from inside the box was denied by the right post. He should have done better in the 31st minute after Andy Dorman broke free in the goal area and delivered it to the Revs striker at the top of the six yard box. Noonan's left footed volley went well high of the target.

Then things got chippy. A fracas broke out in the 39th minute after Avery John was booked for a hard sliding tackle in which he appeared to get the ball. Khano Smith was pushed and pushed back before Caleb Norkus went down seemingly injured, only to get up seconds later. Carolina's David Stokes was also booked on the play.

Before the free kick could be taken Shalrie Joseph and former Rev Connally Edozien was sent off for tussling in the goal box.

"It's a semifinal," said Larentowicz. "People are going to come in fired up in front of a neutral crowd. They came up here and they were ready to play and ready to fight. I don't know if that is their style, but that's the way it turned into it and I think we were just happy to be able to hold on and get the win."

Larentowicz finally tied the match just a minute before half time with his diving header off a Cristman cross.

"Pat played me in and I beat a guy and it went straight to Adam," said Larentowicz. "Pat continued his run with and Adam played a onetime ball. I continued my run again and Pat just clipped it over a guy and I was able to get my head on it."

Cristman should've given the Revs the lead just seconds later after Steve Ralston found him in the box shadowed by a defender. The ball fell kindly for Cristman, and his initial effort was saved by keeper Chris McClellan, but the rebound fell right to him. His second effort fell wide of the mark.

Carolina nearly took the lead in the 58th minute after a shot by Chad Dombrowski was headed off the line by Michael Parkhurst. The rebound fell back to Carolina and Reis was forced to come up with a huge save to send it wide of the target. A third shot beat Reis, but was wide of the target and cleared.

Noonan again was denied by the post in the 62nd minute after a long cross from Smith was deflected by the defense right to him. His left footed shot from near the top of the box beat McClellan but hit off the right post and was cleared out.

Ralston set up a great chance in the 78th minute after running alone down the right flank. The MLS' all-time assist leader sprung Noonan all alone, but McClellan was quick off his line to block the pass. Cristman got on the end of the rebound, but McClellan somehow got a hand on it to deflect it wide.

Carolina went down to nine men in the 80th minute after David Stokes tugged down Cristman on a break-away from behind. Ralston took the ensuing free kick and sent it into the side netting.

Gambian Youth International Sainey Nyassi entered the match for his Revolution debut for Avery John to start overtime. The U-20 World Cup participant just signed with the team on Friday.

The sub paid off in the 4th minute as Nyassi ran down the right flank and sent a low cross to the top of the box. Cristman turned around and laid it off to Noonan, who hammered it into the upper netting to give the Revs a 2-1 lead.

"It was a nice build up with Sainey getting the ball out wide and finding Cristman in the middle," said Noonan. "And Cristman did a good job to see my run and lay it off and I was able to put it in."

Rookie forward Chris Loftus made his first team debut in the second period of overtime, entering the game for an exhausted Noonan.

The Revs had a couple of chances to finish off the match in overtime with the RailHawks pushed deep into the attack, but failed to capatalize. Cristman was set completely free of the defense, but sent his shot high of a back track McClellan and the goal.

Reis came up huge on the last kick of the game when Jonny Steele rose above his defender to power a header on frame off a corner kick. Reis dove to his left to parry the close range shot and preserve the victory for the Revolution.

The Revs move onto the final on Oct. 3 where they will meet FC Dallas, which beat the Seattle Sounders 2-1 in overtime Tuesday.

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