PITTSBURGH – Kenardo Forbes scored twice while Russell Cicerone had a goal and assist as Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC took a 5-0 victory against Loudoun United FC on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium in which the hosts pulled away from their visitors late on behind two assists from Ezra Armstrong.

The Hounds threatened early as a pair of chances by Alex Dixon and Anthony Velarde were blocked by United defenders before the visitors had a chance in the 10th minute when Timmy Mehl flicked a volley just over the top-left corner of the net off a corner kick from the left by Ted Ku-DiPietro. Loudoun had another chance a few minutes later as Jeremy Garay intercepted a pass in the Pittsburgh half and fired a shot from 25 yards that rattled the crossbar and then hit the back of Hounds goalkeeper Danny Vitiello, who recovered quickly to keep out a rebound chance for Ku-DiPietro.

Pittsburgh took the lead in the 20th minute, however, as off a corner kick from the right, Forbes found Mekeil Williams for a powerful header to the bottom-right corner that was blocked on the line, only for Todd Wharton to clean up the rebound from inside the six-yard area. The hosts went close to a second as well two minutes before the halftime break as Dixon found space in the right side of the penalty area to receive a pass from Cicerone, but his shot dipped just over the crossbar, while in first-half stoppage time Cicerone had a chance of his own kept out by Loudoun goalkeeper Jonathan Mendell from the right side of the penalty area after a good through-ball by Velarde.

The hosts tried to add to their lead early in the second half as a cutback cross from the right by Dixon was met first-time by Velarde for a low shot that was saved, but in the 58th minute they delivered as Forbes clipped forward a pass to Cicerone that the forward looped into the penalty area for the Jamaican to run onto a fire home a left-footed volley into the right side of the net. Cicerone then added his 14th goal of the season with 15 minutes to go as he Louis Perez’s low cross from the right byline squeezed past a defender and was put home by the forward as he pirouetted to finish from close range.

That opened the floodgates for the Hounds, and in the 80th minute Tommy Williamson added his name to the scoresheet with a close-range finish after Armstrong skipped past a defender on the left to get to the byline before cutting a low cross back to the top of the six-yard area. Armstrong played provider again two minutes later as he zipped a pass to Forbes at the top-left edge of the penalty area, where the playmaker had space to turn and pick out a curling shot to the far-right corner to wrap up all three points.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Kenardo Forbes, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – Forbes had a pair of goals on three shots and two key passes while completing 45 of 54 passes overall in midfield, winning 5 of 5 tackles and making 12 recoveries.

Scoring Summary
PIT – Todd Wharton 20’
PIT – Kenardo Forbes (Russell Cicerone) 52’
PIT – Russell Cicerone 75’
PIT – Tommy Williamson (Ezra Armstrong) 80’
PIT – Kenardo Forbes (Ezra Armstrong) 82’

Full Box Score