HERRIMAN, Utah – The Town FC defeated Real Monarchs 1-0 at Zions Bank Stadium to finish the road stretch strong and gain a critical three points to benefit the team in the table. Goalkeeper Mikolaj Bieganski faced five shots on target but was perfect, recording his first clean sheet of the season. Forward Riley Lynch — who was a substitute last match against North Texas SC — got the starting nod and put The Town FC on the board with an acrobatic goal in the 21st minute, his second of the season.
The goal arrived following a series of close chances that weren’t converted, but it was all The Town FC needed to take the victory. Real Monarchs had convincing chances in the second half, but The Town FC’s defense held down the fort in the second half to deny the opposing side of finding the late equalizer. The Town FC cleared the ball 10 times, emphasizing the abundance of opportunities for Real Monarchs.
The Town FC faced adversity from the start, as midfielder Edwyn Mendoza suffered an injury in just the 11th minute that required a substitution. But when it was all said and done, the team’s depth played a key role in maintaining the lead, as five different bench players entered the game to keep the game afloat; something The Town FC struggled to do last game when they allowed a heartbreaking equalizer to North Texas SC in stoppage time.
The Town FC now sit at seventh place in the Western Conference with a 2-1-1 record (seven points) but appear well within striking distance of the teams ahead.
The Town FC will now head back to California to commence home play against defending MLS NEXT Pro champion Austin FC II on Saturday, April 20. The match — The Town FC’s inaugural home matchup in franchise history — will kick off from PayPal Park in San Jose, California at 7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
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MATCH INFORMATION
2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season
Real Monarchs 0 – 1 The Town FC
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Scoring Summary:
TTFC (0-1) – R. Lynch 21’
Misconduct Summary:
SLC – G. Dillon (Caution) 7’
TTFC – A. Edwards (Caution) 75’
SLC – D. Silva (Caution) 79’
TTFC – J. Donnery (Caution) 90’ + 1’
Real Monarchs: G. Beavers (GK), D. Silva, Z. Farnsworth, K. Storlie, O. Alba Burrowes, G. Dillon (B. Redzic – 60’), D. Iskenderian (J. Wellings – 78’), N. Caliskan, M. Bell, I. Paul (J. Joffre – 60’), Z. Gozo
Substitutes not used: K. Pierre, I. Amparo, F. Delgado, S. Petrie
SHOTS: 12; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 15; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 1
The Town FC: M. Bieganski (GK), O. Verhoeven, A. Cano, C. Walls, J. Ricketts (R. Ibarra – 63’), B. Leroux, E. Mendoza (A. Chow – 11’), C. Medina (C), A. Edwards (J. Garcia – 87’), E. Blancas (J. Donnery – 87’), R. Lynch (S. Bilter – 87’)
Substitutes not used: J. Nicholson, J. Spivey
SHOTS: 8; SHOTS ON GOAL: 2; FOULS: 8; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 4