Bristol Rhythm AFC Falls 3-0 to Charlottetowne Hops FC on the Road
By Parker W. Cox/Bristol Rhythm AFC
In their second away match of the season, the Bristol Rhythm made it three consecutive losses after Saturday’s defeat against Charlottetowne Hops FC. Although the 3-0 scoreline doesn’t necessarily tell the full story, the Hops defended home territory in convincing fashion.
From a Charlottetowne standpoint, you couldn’t have asked for more tonight. They finished with three goals and a clean sheet at home, maintaining momentum from Wednesday’s victory against Appalachian FC. Having it being their first time matching up with the Rhythm, the Hops came in determined to dominate possession and keep composure inside the 18-yard box. Aside from a handful of missed chances, Charlottetowne got the job done, and they now look ahead to their matchup against Greenville United on June 15.
Although the scoreline isn’t particularly flattering for the Bristol Rhythm, it must be said that there are quite a few positives to be taken away from Saturday’s loss. Firstly, the Rhythm were able to create a good number of solid chances inside their opponent’s goalkeeper box, which couldn’t be said about their previous match against Appalachian. They registered one shot on goal, as well as a few near-shots that went over the post.
“On another day we score one or two, and at that point we would have a real game on our hands,” Bristol head coach Lewis Sharp remarked.
The newly founded team is clearly gaining confidence and cohesion on the offensive end. These chances created by the Rhythm were done so because of their improvement on the ball in possession. In their previous losses, one of Bristol’s biggest issues has been their inability to maintain possession. Although they certainly saw less of the ball compared to the Hops tonight, Bristol certainly had good moments where the team seemed to be clicking. Only time will tell to see if they can continue to improve in this area.
It was without question another standout performance tonight for Logan Cassel, Bristol’s goalkeeper. In spite of conceding three goals, Cassel had his hands full tonight with some great saves, and initially stopped the second goal, but the Hops put away their second chance. Defensively, the Rhythm did well at maintaining the shape of their formation in the back, which definitely prevented the concession of more goals.
The final piece of the puzzle for Bristol has to be goalscoring. In such a competitive league where their defensive schemes are continuously tested, the Rhythm will need to become a bit more clinical in front of goal in order to compete against the top teams. Sharpe put it simply when he said, “You can’t win games if you don’t score goals.”
Overall, it was a night of improvement from a Bristol perspective. Another tally in the loss column, but a lot of growth has clearly taken place in this newly founded organization over the past few weeks.
“Even if results aren’t going our way, having [the fans] there is a big positive for us,” Sharpe concluded.
The Rhythm will now set their focus on next week’s match at Silverbacks Park against Apotheos FC.
Photo Credit: Austin Pantaleo/Bristol Rhythm AFC
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