FC Monmouth Falls to In-State Rival FC Motown 2-1

MADISON, NJ – FC Monmouth (2-2-2) was defeated by FC Motown (4-1-1) 2-1 Saturday night. The loss ended the club’s four-game point streak dating back to May 19.

Chances were at a premium in the first half, with the two clubs combining for five shots in the opening 45 minutes. As the half began to wind down, forward Walter Calderon drew a foul in the box and then converted the resulting penalty kick in the 34th minute. FC Monmouth took that 1-0 advantage into the break.

Calderon’s goal gave him sole possession of the club’s all-time scoring record, and it was his eighth of the season in just four games.

The second half began with three-straight shots from FC Monmouth, and five of the first six. The 60th minute saw one of the best chances for the club to double its lead. Forward Josh Hesson had a shot go through the legs of the FC Motown goalkeeper, who was able to redirect the shot with his hand and prevent the goal. Later on in that sequence, defender Miguel Alves sent in a long shot which was collected by FC Motown’s goalkeeper.

FC Motown then began a barrage of shots spanning 30 minutes, including a streak of 11 straight. The FC Monmouth defense stood strong, withstanding almost every chance during that run. In the 79th minute, FC Motown was fouled in the box and evened the score at one on a penalty kick.

As the game approached the 90th minute, FC Motown scored the go-ahead goal, making the final score 2-1.

AT THE MICROPHONE

“I think we played hard, as we normally do. When they pushed everything forward it put us under pressure to perform through the midfield and get forward. We struggled to get out of the midfield, but we did get forward, especially when Walter [Calderon] was able to get in. Once we pulled Josh [Hesson], that kind of set us back a little bit when we couldn’t get behind them as much as we were with both Josh and Walter. With that said, when Cam [Allen] came in he held the ball up for us but we just couldn’t play through the midfield because they were pushing so many numbers. We were doing well, and we were hoping to come away with a result tonight. The boys aren’t down about it, and we have to come back strong and play hard on Friday to try to get points.” – Head Coach Brian Woods

“We knew what they were going to do. They were at home and they needed to pick up as many points as possible so we knew it was going to be a hard game. The first half we went a bit direct and it worked. We got Walter [Calderon] in behind on the penalty, which was a good way to end the first half. The second half, we knew they were going to make changes and push men forward. They just kept attacking and we defended really well for about 80 minutes. Then they got themselves a penalty and at the end got themselves a nice counterattack to win. For 80 minutes of the game, we did really well, so it’s disappointing. We’ve been on quite a good run by going four games without losing, so we were confident coming into this game, especially after last week when we came back from down four at halftime. I thought we played really well against one of the best teams in the conference. I think we will be confident going into next week. We know what we need to work on and we know what we are doing well so we can keep doing that.” – Defender Ben King

NOTES AND NUMBERS

Calderon is now FC Monmouth’s all-time leading goal scorer with eight. He is the fastest to reach that mark, doing it in just four games. He now averages two goals a game, and sits tied for the NPSL lead in goals.

FC Monmouth scored its 19th goal of the season, setting a new single-season mark for goals scored, doing it in six games. The previous mark, 18, was set during a 10-game span in 2019.

Goalkeeper Matt Perrella now has 20 saves on the season, and is six away from second place all-time in club history.

FC Monmouth has converted both penalty kicks it has had this season. In its three-year history, the club has had five successful attempts.

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE

FC Monmouth will play its final home game of the season against Atlantic City FC on Friday, June 18. Kickoff from Count Basie Park is slated for 7:00 p.m.