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Barry Penalty Spoils Effort from Energy FC

By USLSoccer.com Staff, 05/05/18, 10:30PM EDT

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Swope Park runs unbeaten streak to five, hands OKC seventh straight loss


Photo courtesy Steven Christy/OKC Energy FC

OKLAHOMA CITY – OKC Energy FC defender Richard Dixon was whistled for a handball in the penalty area in the 86th minute of a matchup with the visiting Swope Park Rangers at Taft Stadium on Saturday, and it was Hadji Barry who stepped up and delivered the only goal in a 1-0 Rangers victory. The strike was the second in as many matches for Barry who buried his penalty inside the left post despite a diving effort from OKC keeper Matt Van Oekel. The goal came against a procession of play that had seen most of the pressure applied at the opposite end of the field, but the lack of a finishing touch led to the seventh straight loss for Energy FC (1-7-0, 3pts) – four of which have come at home. The most glaring missed opportunity came in the 65th minute when Jose Angulo found himself on the end of a cross from Hugh Dixon but was turned away from close range by Darrin MacLeod. Swope Park extended its unbeaten run to five and now stands at 4-1-3 overall (15 pts).

Scoring:
86’ – SPR – Hadji Barry (penalty)

Three Things That Matter:

  • 1. Barry’s conversion helped Swope Park avoid being held to a draw for the fourth consecutive match after opening the campaign with three wins in its first four outings. Swope Park had scored first and seen its one-goal advantage dissipate four times in the previous three matches, but Head Coach Paulo Nagamura’s side was able to run its total to eight points from five road appearances, matching the third-highest point total away from home among Western Conference teams in 2018.
     
  • 2. Despite a steep advantage in possession for visiting Swope Park, Energy FC generated decisively more opportunities at goal, finishing with a 17-5 edge in shot attempts. The inability to break through continued a trend that has plagued a Oklahoma City squad that entered the match last among the league’s 33 teams with a conversion rate less than five percent on the season. Swope Park goalkeeper Darrin MacLeod finished with four stops to earn his first shutout in three starts this season.
     
  • 3. In defeat, the Energy FC defense showed well on Saturday night, limiting the visitors to just three shots on goal in the run of play. OKC nearly became the first squad to earn a clean sheet against the high-flying Rangers attack this season, but by failing to score for the fourth consecutive match, saw its own scoreless streak run to 429 minutes overall. 

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match

Graham Smith, Swope Park Rangers – The defender loomed large in an effort that saw Swope Park withstand sustained pressure in its own third, finishing with two tackles and five interceptions while completing nearly 90 percent of his passes.

Upcoming Games:

OKC Energy FC vs. Phoenix Rising FC – May 9, 8 p.m. ET, Taft Stadium
Swope Park Rangers at Real Monarchs SLC – May 9, 9 p.m. ET, Zions Bank Stadium

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