CHARLESTON, S.C. – Alex Dixon continued his recent hot streak for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC as his pair of goals lifted the visitors to a 3-2 victory against the Charleston Battery on Friday night at Patriots Point in an enthralling contest between the two old rivals.

Neither side was able to get a grasp on the game early on as the teams battled for control, but in the 20th minute the Battery took the lead off a set piece. After a foul just outside the top-right corner of the penalty area, Zeiko Lewis whipped in a left-footed cross that found Logan Gdula as he cut in front of the goalkeeper looking to claim and headed into the right corner of the net for the third goal of his career.

As quickly as the hosts took the lead, though, the Hounds responded as Kenardo Forbes was brought down in the Battery penalty area by Gdula, resulting in a penalty kick. Russell Cicerone stepped up to the spot and fired low to the left corner, and while Charleston goalkeeper Paul Lewis got a hand to the shot, it wasn’t enough to keep it from finding the net.

The Hounds continued to probe after pulling level, and Gdula made a good block to keep Cicerone from finding the target after a good spinning piece of control at the top of the penalty area. In first-half stoppage time the visitors took the lead, however, on a beautifully worked goal for Dixon.  After building up on the left, Forbes slid a pass through to Danny Rovira as he cut toward the byline, and with Cicerone making a near post run the space opened up for Dixon to arrive centrally for a cut-back cross that he put home first time.

The Battery pulled level again two minutes into the second half, though, as Romario Piggott clipped a ball to Nicque Daley, who tried to control and shoot, but was squeezed out before Stavros Zarokostas reacted to send an effort that was partially parried by Hounds goalkeeper Danny Vitiello. Piggott was there to follow up, bundling the ball over the line as he beat a trailing defender to the ball.

Pittsburgh almost regained the lead immediately as Louis Perez’s shot from the left side of the penalty area was tipped wide by Battery goalkeeper Paul Lewis at the near post, and Lewis had to be sharp again just before the hour-mark as he tipped a looping header by Cicerone over the crossbar. The Hounds struck with 25 minutes to go, though, as Cicerone switched the play from the left to find Dixon, who moved into the right side of the penalty area and unleashed a shot to the far corner for his fifth goal in the past three games.

Charleston was reduced to 10 men with 11 minutes to go as Zarokostas was shown his second yellow card of the night, but the hosts still found a chance to level late despite being down a man. In the 86th minute, Angelo Kelly delivered a good cross from the right that found Geobel Perez for a header to the right corner that Vitiello got across to save. The Hounds saw the game out from there, however, to remain on top of the Atlantic Division at the end of the night.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Alex Dixon, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – Dixon bagged a pair of goals and the game-winner for a second consecutive game while recording one key pass and completing 20 of 27 passes overall for the visitors.

Scoring Summary
CHS – Logan Gdula (Zeiko Lewis) 20’
PIT – Russell Cicerone (Penalty Kick) 24’
PIT – Alex Dixon (Danny Rovira) 45+1’
CHS – Romario Piggott 47’
PIT – Alex Dixon (Russell Cicerone) 65’

Full Box Score