Quickfire double sets the stage for Hounds as they leave Hartford empty-handed

Two early goals from Michee Ngalina, combined with the usual substandard attacking display, consigned the Riverhounds to a 2-0 defeat as they fell to a sixth consecutive game without a win against Hartford Athletic at Trinity Health Park. 

Usually, it isn’t until much later in the game that the Hounds are punished for not taking their chances, but after Edward Kizza squandered his chance by prodding a Junior Etou cross wide after five minutes, the axe fell instantly. Ngalina managed to get past a flat-footed Patrick Hogan and leave him chasing shadows as he barreled down on goal before poking it past the onrushing Jacon Randolph, who had the ignominy of picking the ball up out of the back of the net as his first touch of both the game, and indeed the season as he was making his Hounds debut:

They had slightly more fortune a few minutes later, once again Ngalina was given the freedom of Trinity Health Stadium as he split the Riverhounds' defense and once again bore down on goal, but this time a strong foot from Randolph managed to turn the ball away, and thankfully for him Deshane Beckford wasn’t able to convert his rebound from just outside the box as his attempt dribbled wide.

That luck though wouldn’t last for long as they were once again carved open as Hartford doubled their lead just ten minutes later, this time Beckford waltzing past Langston Blackstock before firing an inch-perfect cross across the box and onto the foot of a sliding Ngalina who once again managed to slip past his marker to tap in:

On the subject of luck, if ever there was a moment that summed up just how little the Hounds had, it came just past the half-hour mark with their best chance of the half. As usual, it came from an Etou cross that Robbie Mertz appeared to stumble over as it came to him, but as the ball fell to the feet of Kazaiah Sterling, he struck what looked to be the perfect shot across the face of Renan Ribeiro’s goal, only for it to smack the base of the post and rebound out for a goal kick. 

The second half started with the Riverhounds looking to spark some life back into the game, with Kenardo Forbes, Emmanuel Johnson and Bradley Sample coming on in place of Mertz, Kizza and Jackson Walti, and Johnson had the first opportunity of the period, but his hook back into the box from Etou’s cross couldn’t find anyone in a yellow jersey and Hartford were able to clear away. 

Johnson was again involved in the Hounds’ next good chance, this time coming from the right-hand side of the box after Blackstock had created some space, after his cross was cleared and fell to Johnson, his effort met the same fate as Sterling’s chance earlier in the game as it cannoned off the post and away to safety. 

With time winding down to try and get back into it, the Hounds were left fighting for whatever chances they could, but other than a left-footed snapshot from Sterling on the edge of the area and two shots from Griffin from free kicks, all of which were easily smothered by Ribeiro in the final fifteen minutes, they didn’t come anywhere close to troubling the Hartford net, pushing their winless run in the league to six.