Statesville FC claimed a 2-0 away victory over Greenville United in NPSL action on Wednesday, benefiting from two own goals by the hosts to secure all three points without needing to find the net themselves.
Greenville's troubles started in the 20th minute when B. McCourt turned the ball into his own net to give Statesville a 1-0 lead. The early setback appeared to rattle the home side, and frustration crept in as the half wore on. H. Aguirre picked up a yellow card in the 34th minute as Greenville struggled to create meaningful chances in response.
The second half followed a similar pattern. C. Zapata was booked in the 63rd minute for Greenville, and the hosts never managed to seriously threaten an equalizer despite chasing the game for over 70 minutes.
Deep into stoppage time, Greenville's miserable afternoon was summed up when L. Poder added a second own goal in the 90th minute, confirming the 2-0 scoreline. Tempers flared late, with Greenville's C. Trogdon and Statesville's A. Fofana both receiving yellow cards in the closing moments. E. Mensah had also been cautioned earlier in the second half for the visitors.
Statesville will happily take the three points regardless of how the goals came, while Greenville United will look back on a match they effectively lost to themselves — two own goals and five yellow cards painting the picture of a side that fell apart under pressure. The result strengthens Statesville's position in the NPSL standings and leaves Greenville searching for answers heading into their next fixture.