By SDCN Editor
Irvine, CA– San Diego Loyal SC earned three more points in its first victory at Championship Soccer Stadium with a 3-2 win against Orange County SC Saturday night.
Grant Stoneman, Thomas Amang, and Evan Conway helped their team to SD Loyal’s fourth road win of the season with scores against the defending USL Championship champions.
Coach Landon Donovan’s team (13W-5L-4D, 43 points) continues to climb the Western Conference standings, remaining in second place as it heads into a showdown against first-place San Antonio FC at home next Saturday. SD Loyal has now won six of its last seven matches, its best 7-game run in club history.
Saturday, it was the home team making it difficult for SD Loyal to find a rhythm early on. Orange County (5W-10L-7D, 22 points) opened the scoring 10 minutes into the match. Milan Iloski sent a right-footed shot past SD Loyal goalkeeper Koke Vegas for a 1-0 lead. Iloski got his own rebound off a block, moved around in the box, and found an angle for his shot.
Stoneman scored 30 minutes later tying the match 1-1 off a corner kick by Charlie Adams. The floating corner found a jumping Stoneman open inside the six-yard box.
Iloski added his second of the night after giving a short pass to Seth Casiple who immediately gave it back. Iloski spun around and slotted a left-footed shot to the upper corner of the net to give Orange County a 2-1 lead.
The lead by the homeside didn’t last long. Amang tied the match 2-2 four minutes later with a header into the roof of the net. The striker sent in an Adams bending cross from left to right for his eighth goal this season. Amang’s goal propelled the SD Loyal cheering section into celebration as he jumped over a field board to celebrate with Loyal faithful that traveled up Interstate 5 in packed buses from San Diego.
But it was Conway who sent the SD Loyal fans into a frenzy with his game-winner in the 85th minute. Conway buried a left-footed shot into the upper left corner after Amang’s attempted through ball was deflected by an Orange County defender before falling to the foot of Conway.
SD Loyal will now prepare to host San Antonio FC, the team it fell 2-0 to in its USL Championship playoff debut last season.
Goal Scoring Rundown
OC – Milan Iloski, 10th minute: Iloski sent a shot past Koke Vegas after he got a rebound of his own shot blocked by Grant Stoneman. OC 1, SD 0
SD – Grant Stoneman (Charlie Adams), 40th minute: Stoneman got his head on a corner kick by Adams and sent it past Orange County goalkeeper Colin Shutler. OC 1, SD 1
OC – Milan Iloski (Seth Casiple), 66th minute: Iloski slotted a left-footed shot into the corner of the net for a 2-1 lead. OC 2, SD 1
SD – Thomas Amang (Charlie Adams), 70th minute: Amang headed in a cross by Charlie Adams to tie the match again. OC 2, SD 2
SD – Evan Conway, 85th minute: Conway buried his shot into the upper left corner and proved to be the game-winner. OC 2, SD 3
