Reading United drops points, Ocean City gains ground in standings

A late penalty sent Reading United home with dropped points for the first time this season after a 1-1 draw with Long Island Rough Riders on the road on Saturday.

Reading (5-0-1) are tied on points with the Rough Riders (5-1-1) with 16 but have a game in hand. New York Red Bulls U23 are in third with 12 points with the same number of games played as Reading.

Felipe Hideki scored his second goal of the season in the 22nd minute off an assist from Philadelphia Union Academy grad Kalil ElMedkhar, but fellow academy grad Lamine Conte was sent off in the 83rd minute and a minute later Reading was whistled for a foul in the box. Joergen Oland’s penalty leveled the score.

Four other Union academy grads played in the match. Zach Zandi and Will Cambpell played all 90 minutes, Mo Conde subbed in late and Conor Bradley played three minutes off the bench.

Reading is back in action Tuesday at home against Lehigh Valley United, which fell 2-0 to FA Euro at home on Saturday.

Two Tar Heels helped lead Ocean City Nor’eastes to their second straight win. UNC goalkeeper Alec Simr went all 90 minutes to get the clean sheet without having to make a save and his teammate Alex Rose scored the game’s only goal in the first half to secure all three points. Simone Raiola had the assist on Rose’s goal.

The match, played in Leesburg, Virginia against Evergreen FC, was delayed for an hour for lightning.

“Tonight’s game was a very hard-fought battle, especially with the lightning delay,” said Nor’easters assistant coach Christos Economopoulos, who was filling in for head coach John Thompson who was unable to make the trip. “The boys did very well to play in these crazy weather conditions and leave with a win.”

Ocean City has two road games this week with a match at Lehigh Valley United on Thursday and at Reading United on Saturday night.