Asheville City left Georgia empty handed following a 1-0 defeat to the Dalton Red Wolves. The Blues owned the lion’s share of chances in the contest, but a 69th minute sending off for City keeper Jarrett Payne upended the evening.

The Blues owned the match’s opening chance as midfielder Mario Arrocha had a great look as he bombed from the right flank just seconds into the contest. The first 25 minutes or so both sides exchanged shots and fouls as they worked themselves into the game. One of those shots came from forward Jack Stainrod in the 17th minute, who forced the Dalton goalkeeper to parry the attempt away.

The hosts broke through in the 31st minute with an impressive cross that found the foot of Justin Riescher. The young striker hit the pass one-time for his second goal of the season. There was some question in the build-up as the ball looked to go out-of-bounds, but the hosts played to the whistle as they found open space along the wings.

City were quick to react as midfielder Izaiah Vignali found Stainrod open in the box, but a poor connection saw the shot attempt go just wide of the open net. The chance proved that the Blues were up for the comeback challenge as the halftime whistle blew.

The second half opened with another opportunity from Arrocha, whose shot was made possible by a wonderful pass from wingback Kevin Daly. The ball was rolling towards the hosts’ open net when a Dalton defender cleared the ball off the line.

The game’s major turning point came in the 69th minute when City keeper Jarret Payne was shown a straight red card for a denial of a goal scoring opportunity. Payne left the box to meet Dalton’s Riescher in open field as he broke through the backline. Riescher attempted a flick over Payne when the Blue handled the ball above his head to prevent a goal within the open net. 

Patrick Hall entered the fray to tend the City net for the remainder of the game, replacing right-centerback Dominic Foster for the ten-men side. 

There was another spot of controversy when the Dalton goalkepper looked to have handled the ball outside of the box later in the contest. The Blues’ appeals ended in a yellow card for Assistant Coach Gregg Munn.

Despite going a man down, Asheville continued to press in the Dalton final third, preventing the hosts from capitalizing on their advantage. One final City attempt to equalize came in stoppage time as a free kick from 45 yards out was spoiled by chaotic Red Wolves defending.

With the loss, the Blues own a 0-0-2 record in their first ever USL2 campaign. Due to his straight red card, goalkeeper Jarrett Payne is suspended for Asheville City’s next game.

The Blues open their account at Greenwood Field on the campus of UNC-Asheville this Saturday as they host Southern Soccer Academy Kings.  Tickets for the game have already sold out as capacity is capped at 300 spectators.

In response to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s announcement lifting the gathering limits and social distancing requirements, the Blues appreciate the patience shown by supporters as the Club continues to work with UNC-Asheville during this transition period towards less restrictive protocols. 

Fans can stay up-to-date with game action and club news by following Asheville City’s social media pages. The Club can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.