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Ryan Ware and Admir Suljevic made sure FC Buffalo’s road opener was a tough one, and the club’s scoreless streak reached 180 minutes in a 2-0 loss at Stan Skoczen Stadium in Independence, Ohio, on Saturday night.
Both teams had solid chances in the first half. Goalkeeper Nick Jeffs was at the end of Cleveland’s failures to net, but it was the crossbar that stopped Kendell McFayden off a Philip Persson corner kick.
Persson’s corner headed off the crossbar by McFayden pic.twitter.com/i1dOs0h8fM
— FC Buffalo (@FCBuffalo) May 21, 2016
It was 0-0 at half, and FCB head coach Brendan Murphy opted for a trio of changes with Sam Byles, Andrew Ferguson and Kieran Toland entering the game.
But Cleveland struck down the left wing, with Riley Grant carrying to the end line and cutting back for Ware to finish. 1-0, 49′.
FCB almost equalized moments later, as Philip Persson zipped a perfect cross from the left to Cleveland’s doorstep. Byles’ right-footed chance somehow went wide of the frame.
Ware nearly made it 2-0 in the 67th minute, but Jeffs made an acrobatic slap save for a Cleveland corner that came to nothing.
Cleveland added a second goal when Suljevic worked a pair of defenders to slot low past Jeffs.
Ian McGrath toed a slow ball past a charging Flowers, but Cleveland clears it out for a corner.
Jeffs kept it 2-0 with another fantastic piece of work late, and the goalkeeper saw Grant sky a PK attempt over the net.
Jeffs with a terrific save pic.twitter.com/OToyzdM2If
— FC Buffalo (@FCBuffalo) May 22, 2016
The Blitzers are back home Friday in a must-win against rivals Erie. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. from Robert E. Rich All-High Stadium.
LINEUP: Jeffs; Paredes (c), McFayden, Traut, Acuna Camacho (Ferguson, HT); Donaldson, Walter (Orvis, 81′), McGrath, Winkel (Byles, HT), Persson (Barrett, 67′); Guscott (Toland, HT).
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