The lineup to start the match was a perfect sneak peek into what fans would see in the coming playoff race. Kyle Scott was the only typical starter missing. Danny Stone kept his solid 4-4-2 formation, which relied heavily on defensive strength with calculated forward momentum on the wings.
FIRST HALF:
Hartford controlled the ball early on, but Kevin Partida and Seth Casiple in the midfield prevented the opposition from gaining any significant ground in the final third.
The County Boys may have looked strong on their side of the pitch, but the missing component was anyone in orange who could create a solid chance moving forward.
The first real opportunity of the night for either side was from a set piece. Owen Lambe was fouled 20 yards outside the box. Casiple stepped up and crossed it in the box, which looked dangerous as Ethan Zubak jumped up to try and connect the rebound. However, Hartford Athletic keeper Renan Ribeiro was able to punch it away before a shot could be found.
The attempt seemed to breathe some life into Orange County, though, and they began to build pressure into their opponents' half. In the 22nd minute, there was a moment of near-brilliance. After a corner kick was cleared, OC won the ball back and had some fantastic passing that ended with a chance for Cameron Dunbar in the six. He tried to chip it over Ribeiro, but it keeper kept it out.
Unfortunately, things just as quickly became bleak when Partida got clipped and immediately fell to the ground. He had to come off the pitch with a worry if this was an injury that would remove him from the playoffs.
Ashish Chattha came off the bench in Partida's place and made his impact known with a great chance created in the final third. He made a couple of great passes that started a sequence to give OCSC their best look at goal in the first half: Chris Hegardt received the ball at the top of the box and took a shot toward the far post that forced a diving save to keep things level.
Bad news piled on when Zubak fell to the ground after a clash of knees and also had to come off due to injury. Pedro Guimaraes stepped on, allowing Ryan Doghman to come forward more, but the half ended with two injuries and no goals to be found.
SECOND HALF:
Danny Stone made one change at the half, bringing on Ashton Miles to replace Dillon Powers on defense. Hopefully, it was just a precautionary move and not another injury worry.
After a scoreless half and little offensive momentum from either side, Doghman opened the scoreline up with a fantastic shot from a tight angle. A cross into the box from Lambe ended at the feet of Hegardt, who passed it to Doghman on the left side. With one touch, he shot across the box into the far side netting to give Orange County a 1-0 lead.
Evidently, all the action was saved for the second half.
Only a minute later, Hartford countered by sending a pass clear over the heads of the defense to Marcus Epps. Colin Shutler guessed wrong, and Epps buried the ball into the near corner for an immediate equalizer.
The excitement of this match was not over, however. Three minutes later, Doghman settled the ball outside the box and sent a rocket of a shot toward the far post that beat Ribeiro. Doghman was clearly unsatisfied with Hartford’s quick response and had one of his own, getting a brace within five minutes to retake the lead at 2-1.
In the 76th minute, there was a refreshing return for Orange County SC as Thomas Amang entered the pitch to replace Chris Hegardt.
Hartford found its second goal in the 82nd minute after some chaos in the box. Epps initially took a deflected shot, but Kyle Edwards ran to connect a second shot that took Shutler by surprise and tied the match again at 2-2.
The boys in orange and black would not give up on a victory for their last season match, though. Casiple started the counter, and Amang got the ball with some space to move forward. However, he was patient and controlled the moment, passing it through to Dunbar. He tried to find the goal, but Hartford's defense prevented a shot. Skillfully, he also kept possession and passed it back to Amang at the top of the box, who sent a perfect shot into the right corner to secure the 3-2 win for the night.
OVERVIEW:
It was the definition of a back-and-forth battle between Orange County SC and Hartford Athletic to end the 2024 regular season. The momentum for the playoffs that OCSC gained in this match cannot be overstated. No matter what their opponents did, the County Boys always pushed forward with a fight to earn the victory and the sixth seed in the playoffs.
Eight games unbeaten, Danny Stone's culture change and tactics at this club are nothing short of phenomenal. These past two months, Stone has been able to unlock the chemistry of this squad in a way that fans have been dreaming of all season. The best hope that Orange County has for a second title race is undoubtedly on the shoulders of the gaffer.
The season has ended on a high note, but things are far from over for Orange County SC as they prepare to face off against Memphis 901 FC on Saturday, November 2nd, at 11:00 AM PST.