Spokane Velocity FC secured a 1-0 victory on the road against Forward Madison FC in USL League One action on Saturday, with Jack Denton's 73rd-minute strike proving the difference.
The first half produced no goals and, notably, no bookings — a calm before what turned into a fractious second period. The tone shifted almost immediately after the break. Forward Madison's Collin McCamy picked up a yellow card in the 48th minute, and teammate Matt Glaeser followed him into the referee's notebook just five minutes later. Spokane's Anuar Peláez was cautioned in the 57th minute as the match grew increasingly scrappy.
The breakthrough arrived in the 73rd minute. Denton finished from a Lucky Onyebuchi Opara delivery to put Spokane ahead against the run of cards, if not the run of play. It was a clinical moment in an otherwise cagey contest.
Forward Madison pushed for an equalizer but couldn't find a way through. The closing stages grew testy — Ryan Carmichael of Forward Madison and Spokane's Nick Spielman were both booked in the 83rd minute following the same incident. Five yellow cards were shown in total across the second half, three of them to the home side, underscoring Forward Madison's growing frustration as the clock wound down.
Spokane held firm to collect all three points, a valuable away win that bolsters their positioning in the USL League One standings as the season enters its final stretch.
USL League One