San Diego Loyal SC allowed three second half goals in a 3-1 loss against visiting Orange County SC Saturday at Torero Stadium.
Evan Conway gave the Loyal (9-6-6, 33 points) a 1-0 lead early in the USL Championship match, but San Diego’s Western Conference rivals mounted a comeback with a brace by Thomas Amang and a late goal by Oluwakorede Osundina.
The victory, OC’s fourth straight, boosted the club (10-9-4, 34 points), past the Loyal into fourth place in the west.
“We just weren’t at our standard tonight, for sure,” said head coach Nate Miller.
Conway scored in the eighth minute when he buried a shot into the left wall of the OC net. The striker dribbled into the penalty area off a header from Adrien Perez, made a cut with a pass behind his back, followed by a left-footed blast for his team-leading ninth goal of the season.
SD Loyal had other scoring chances in the first half. Joe Corona had a header blocked by a defender as he charged the goal line on a long cross by Charlie Adams. A Camden Riley shot was also caught by OC goalkeeper Colin Shutler on his line.
OC tried to catch SD Loyal’s defense off guard with a couple of plays with the long ball but goalkeeper Koke Vegas was quick to come out of his area to intercept the ball.
But the visitors caught the Loyal in the 52nd minute, tying the match 1-1 with an Amang goal. The forward, who played for Loyal SC last year, sent a shot past Vegas off a pass from Brian Iloski.
Amang gave the visitors the lead in the 78th minute with another shot off a pass by Milan Iloski – Brian’s brother – inside the penalty area. Amang sent his shot between Vegas and the left post.
Osundina added the third goal of the night for Orange County on a breakaway in stoppage time. SD Loyal tried to find an equalizer late in the match, pushing up its lines, but Orange County held strong.
It was the second of five straight home matches for the Loyal and the club’s first loss in five matches. They must re-group quickly. Loudoun United FC arrives at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The club will then host Memphis 901 FC three days later on Aug. 12, before finishing the home stand against New Mexico United a week later.
