Despite 2-1 score, Battery overpowers Riverhounds

It should have been worse.

A couple of questionable offside calls, an unlucky pass and a shot off the post were all that kept the Charleston Battery from routing Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

Alioune Gueye and Tom Heinemann scored goals to lead Charleston past Pittsburgh, 2-1, before a crowd of 4,236 at Blackbaud Stadium.

The Battery remained the only unbeaten team in the USL Second Division with its fourth

straight victory, improving to 5-0-1 (16 points). The Riverhounds dropped to 0-2-3 (3).

The Battery dominated the first half, outshooting the Riverhounds, 8-0, but only had a one-goal lead to show for its efforts. The Battery finished with a 13-1 shot advantage.

"It was a little frustrating because we put them under so much pressure in the first 45 minutes," said Heinemann, who recorded his second goal of the season. "You work that hard, you create your chances, and then you're not rewarded like you should be."

The Battery took a 1-0 lead on Alioune Gueye's first goal of the season in the 28th minute.

After a strong buildup by Charleston, Battery striker Amauri Nunes served a ball to the back post. The ball bounced around the six-yard box until a Pittsburgh defender cleared the ball just beyond the 18-yard box. Gueye stepped up from his center-midfield position and blasted a shot that just beat Pittsburgh keeper Hunter Gilstrap.

The Battery appeared to go up 2-0 less than two minutes later when Heinemann scored on a Nunnas rebound. However, Heinemann was ruled to be offside on the play.

"I asked the linesman about it afterward, and he told me that I was offside before (Nunnas) took the shot," Heinemann said. "I didn't think I was, but that doesn't matter. We won, and that's all that counts."

Midfielder Rudolph Mayard also had a chance to score after a scramble in front of the net in the 39th minute. But Gilstrap, the former College of Charleston standout, made an incredible save on his back to keep the game 1-0 at halftime.

"We had so many chances tonight to put them away in the first half," said Charleston coach Mike Anhaeuser. "That was another case where we've got to have that killer instinct and put the ball in the back of the net."

The Riverhounds tied the game on Jeremy Deighton's header in the 69th minute off a set piece.

After a foul on Gueye, Pittsburgh midfielder Tommy Gray served a ball to the back post from about 35 yards out that Deighton was able to snap past Charleston keeper Tim Melia for the score.

The Battery answered less than 10 minutes later on Heinemann's header in the 78th minute off a set piece to grab a 2-1 lead.

After a foul on Pittsburgh defender Lee Kouadio-Tobey, midfielder Mike Zaher lined up for a free kick on the right side from about 30 yards out. Zaher curled a ball to the near post that Heinemann snapped past Gilstrap for the score.

"I think that shows you the kind of character we've got on this team," Heinemann said. "We pushed through that adversity and showed our true character, which I think will help us down the road."

Charleston midfielder Lamar Neagle nearly scored in stoppage time, but his shot from just outside the 18-yard box hit the goal post.

Charleston captain Stephen Armstrong (leg) was unavailable because of an injury.