Despite the first 50 minutes not going the Blues way, Asheville City displayed the depth, grit and talent that has them currently ranked as the #1 in the country to storm back and topple Tennessee SC 4-2 to punch their ticket to the USL League Two playoffs.

Tennessee started off on the front foot, hitting both the post and the crossbar in the first 10 minutes but neither found their way inside of the goal and things remained scoreless.

The Blues finally got something positive going in the 16th minute, when they earned a free kick on the left side of the pitch. Chay Strine sent in a curling cross-turned-shot that would have found its way inside the net if not for the outstretched hands of Tennessee keeper Vincent Sanchis.

Things remained quiet for the rest of the half with most of the play being focused in the midfield with a few half-chances sprinkled throughout as things went into the break scoreless. 

The second half started off abysmal for the Blues, as a scramble in the box led to a one-on-one for Tennessee’s Adrian Byasiima who slipped it by Jonny Mennell to give Tennessee a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute.

10 minutes later, Tennessee threatened again as a beautiful ball cut through the Blues defense and found a TSC attacker but Mennell was quick off his line and scooped the ball off his feet to keep the deficit at one.

In the 63rd minute, the Blues finally broke through. A corner kick found the head of Agustin Resch who smoked it off the crossbar. The Blues reset and worked the ball over to Edouard Nys on the left flank who from about 40 yards out sent a ball over to Joao Silva at the back post who headed it across the mouth of goal to Mao Wong who headed it home to tie things up at one-a-piece.

Five minutes after that, Michael Rempel took a free kick from the right side of the pitch that found Silva at the near post who turned and fired but Sanchis was able to fight it off and keep things level.

Fifteen minutes of mayhem kicked off in the 81st minute, when Nathan Rodrigues sent in a beautiful ball from the left flank to Pietro Fontana in the middle of the box who volleyed it home with his right foot to put Asheville up 2-1.

Three minutes later, the Blues struck again through Fontana who added his second of the night. A long throughball by Nys was deflected by a sliding Tennessee defender into the path of Fontana who unleashed a pinpoint-accurate strike with the outside of his right boot from the edge of the goalbox semi-circle that nestled into the left side-netting to put the Blues ahead 3-1.

Tennessee pulled one back in the 88th minute, as chaos in the box ensued that led to Max Titterington getting the last touch on it to cut the hosts deficit to 1.

Two minutes later though, Asheville put away things for good. Tarun Karumanchi took a quick freekick from the right half-space and played it down the flank where Silva hopped on and sent a ball across the goalbox that went through traffic and found Rempel on the left side of the goalbox. Rempel settled it and sent it in to David Perez who clipped it just enough to pop it up and over Sanchis and inside of the right post as Asheville took a 4-2 lead. 

Fontana came inches away from a hattrick in the 92nd minute when he laced a volley from the edge of the box that stung the crossbar and bounced away. Things got testy in the final few minutes of stoppage time but the Blues held strong and saw the game out.

Pietro Fontana was awarded the Noble Player of the Match for his contributions on the night, which included two goals.

The Men have two more road games before returning home on July 12 for the regular season finale against this very Tennessee SC team. The Women open up the USL W League playoffs at Greenwood Field on July 4th against the Tallahassee Reckoning. You can buy your tickets here.