Harrisburg City Islanders v Charleston Battery Recap: Final Score 2-2. 10-man Charleston earn tough away point

Despite going a man down early in the second half, the Battery fought well to overturn an early deficit, though eventually conceding late on to earn a draw with the Harrisburg Islanders.

Though they started on the front foot, the Battery would go behind just after 20 minutes when a 25 yard piledriver found its way past Alex Tambakis in goal. Things got worse for the away side on 52'. when Tah Brian Anunga was sent off for a second bookable offense, though the decision seemed to spur on the Black and Yellow, as two goals in just over a minute from Attaula Guerra and Romario Williams put the Battery ahead. The drama would continue into stoppage time though, as Harrisburgh would find an equalizer through a finish at the back post after piling on the pressure, meaning the two teams would share the points.

In the sixth minute, a long throw in from Obi Woodbine was initially cleared before being sent back in by Anunga and then sent across from the right to Attaula Guerra, but the midfielder cracked the crossbar with his shot from a few yards out. Guerra looked to be offside when he took the shot, and the linesman maybe would've acknowledged that if the effort had gone in, but the referee gave a goal kick.

Two minutes later, Guerra was playing provider, playing in Romario Williams after getting in behind the defense, though Williams' effort went over the bar.

Williams was then on the end of a pass from Maikel Chang on 11' from the right but the striker couldn't get the shot off and the ball was cleared.

The hosts would then slowly come into the game, and on 22', found themselves in front after some slack passing out of the back led to some space for Rasheed Olabiyi who sprinted toward goal and shot from long range, beating Tambakis in the Battery goal and giving the Islanders the lead.

And after 30', they found themselves with another decent chance. A free kick in a threatening position looked destined to trouble Tambakis, though it went over the bar.

Three minutes later, Tah Brian Anunga was booked, which meant he would have to be walking a tightrope for the remainder of the match.

With ten minutes left in the first half, Harrisburg sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal, which found no one and would be cleared out of danger by the Battery defense.

The Battery had another dangerous opportunity on 39', when Justin Portillo took a free kick roughly 20 yards from goal. With the big men in Forrest Lasso and Taylor Meuller up from the back, he tried a bit of trickery and curled the ball on target, but the 'keeper was able to get himself behind it as it didn't quite get the whip it needed toward the corner.

On 41', Forrest Lasso was booked. The yellow was his fifth of the season, meaning he'll miss the next match through suspension. He's been a rock at the back defensively, and of course pitched in with a few goals early on, and his absence for the Louisville match will give his manager another thing to think about.

And that's how the first half finished. The Battery started strongly, but the goal seemed to leave them in shock, and they only came out of their shell toward the end of the half.

On 48' they were on the attack again as Guerra would control the ball and play in Williams, who shot across the 'keeper and forced a good save, and the ball went out for a corner. The set piece was cleared before being played back in, and play was whistled dead for a handball, giving the Battery a free kick on the edge of the box.

The ball in was cleared and set the hosts away on a counter, which Quinton Griffith did well to snuff out as he had to sprint back to prevent Harrisburg going through on goal.

On 52', though, Tah Brian Anunga would be booked for a foul just outside the box, which meant he would be sent off having already been booked in the first half.

On the hour mark, Obi Woodbine would make a mistake, letting a ball go past him before the onrushing winger would latch on to the ball before it could go out of play, crossing toward the back post for Jonny Mendoza, but he would put his header wide.

Alex Tambakis was then called into action as a shot from just outside the box would be deflected on target, and the 'keeper would be forced into a reaction save, initially diving the other way before getting to the ball and pushing it around the post, and then collected the ensuing corner.

And on 67', the Battery would find themselves level. Substitute Dante Marini would do well to keep the ball in play and get around his man, before crossing for Kotaro Higashi, who laid off for Attaula Guerra, who hit first time into the bottom corner to make the score 1-1.

There'd be more drama just a minute later, after some loose passing in the back allowed Romario Williams to slip in, taking the ball past his marker and slotting into the bottom corner to give the Battery the lead.

Harrisburg would quickly pick themselves up though, forcing another good save out of Tambakis on 69'. A ball from the right would fall in the middle of the box, which would be flicked toward goal through the melee in the box, though Tambakis would save well.

On 75' was another chance for Williams, this time from a free kick that left him at the back post, though he couldn't keep his header down.

And on 78', Williams would then play Marini after good hold up play, but the winger couldn't control the ball to get a shot off.

In the 90th minute, Harrisburg forced another save from Tambakis, committing numbers forward before a shot from distance came in and the 'keeper would save and hold the effort.

6 minutes stoppage time were added, and in the 94th, Harrisburg had another chance after the Battery would fail to clear, though the shot would be scuffed as it would go out for a goal kick.

But then, in the 95th, Jonny Mendoza would get himself to a cross at the back post and equalize for the home side, the reward for pushing forward in the late stages.

And that's how they would finish. It was a good result in the scope of things away from home, though Tah's red card and Lasso's suspension will mean they miss the next game.