After an even first half, the Blues seized control in the second half and used an Ashton Bilow penalty to beat Virginia Beach United 1-0 in their First Round matchup at Greenwood Field on Tuesday.
The first real danger came in the 13th minute via Jack McDaid. McDaid received a pass from Bilow and ripped a long-range shot that was deflected before Griffin Potter tipped it over the crossbar.
Six minutes later, Momo Diop received a feed and danced around defenders inside the box before dragging his shot wide.
Tommy Viscuso was called into action seven minutes later, producing two key stops within a minute of each other before making a brilliant double save in the 33rd minute that kept the score level.
In the 37th minute, Bilow tried chipping Potter from midfield, but Potter reached up and snagged it. Amadou Diop launched a long-range strike of his own off a botched VBU clearance, but Potter was equal to the opportunity as the match rolled into halftime tied.
It didn’t take long for the Blues to break through after the break, when Mitch Picksley was taken down in the box by a Virginia Beach defender. Ashton Bilow stepped up and blasted the penalty into the lower right corner to give Asheville a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute.
Picksley nearly scored one of his own 15 minutes later. An Amadou Diop through ball found him in space on the left side of the box, where he rifled a shot that Potter just tipped over the bar.
Viscuso was tested again in the 69th minute and made a brilliant stop on a point-blank opportunity at the near post.
Disaster struck for VBU in the 81st minute when Alex Moody received a second yellow for dissent, leaving United playing with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
The Blues nearly doubled their lead in the 89th minute when Momo Diop slid a ball across the mouth of the goal from the right side, but a sliding Joaquin Brizuela could not catch up to it to tap it in. Great game management and defense helped Asheville see out the match and advance to the Round of 32.
Tommy Viscuso was the Wicked Pie Player of the Match for his efforts on the night, which included his 4th clean sheet in his last 5 matches.
The Blues will now travel to Newport News for the Lionsbridge pod of the USL League Two playoffs. Their first match will take place against the hosts, Lionsbridge FC, on Friday at 7:30 PM. If they win, they will play in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday at 7:30 PM.
