SAN ANTONIO – Fresh off a pair of tough draws, San Antonio FC would not be denied.
Defender Moises Hernandez scored the eventual game-winning goal in the second half, propelling the Alamo City club to a critical 2-1 victory over Fresno FC Saturday night. With the win, SAFC earned three points, vaulting them into a tie for 9th place in the USL Championship Western Conference standings.
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"I'm very proud of our players for their application tonight and their attitude to earn those three points," SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell said. "They worked very hard on both sides of the ball and it wasn't an easy game. This team can put some very good performances together and is capable of making sure we score goals and defend well."
"It was definitely a collective performance and one that we're proud of," said defender Joshua Yaro. "This is what we've been working for the whole season. When you're under a lot of pressure -- which we were coming into this game, and we still are -- it's good to respond. That's what we saw today, not as individuals but as a group."
Midfielder Walter Restrepo opened the scoring in the 18th minute, dribbling past three defenders and curling a shot inside the right post to give the home team a 1-nil lead at halftime. Fresno FC equalized in the 55th minute thanks to a goal from Alex Cooper, but just 12 minutes later, Hernandez gave SAFC the lead for good. After receiving a pass from Restrepo, Hernandez weaved his way into the box and put a low shot past the keeper to make it 2-1. It's Hernandez's first goal with the club.
"I've been shooting the last few games, trying to get a goal and thank God it went in this time," Hernandez said. "We need to keep showing the fight we showed today. Today you saw that we fought for 90 minutes, we need to keep that same intensity and do that stuff on the road to get three points, which are really valuable for us right now."
San Antonio will begin their final road trip of the season next Saturday against Las Vegas Lights at 9:30 p.m.