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Paul Conway celebrates his free-kick
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Historic Events
Battery Wins 2003 A-League Championship
Charleston, SC.The Charleston Battery defeated the Minnesota Thunder tonight by a score of three goals to none to win its first A-League National Championship. A record oversold-out crowd of 5,711 at Blackbaud Stadium witnessed a stunning first-half onslaught from the Battery led by man-of–the-match Steve Klein who finished off the scoring with a headed goal in the 37th minute,
The first goal came in the 13th minute. Forward, Josh Henderson fired a shot from just inside the box. It was blocked by a Minnesota defender but it squirted out to Ted Chronopoulos on the left side. Chronopoulos took a touch then drove the ball left-footed past Thunder goalkeeper, Joe Warren.
Thunder defender Adam Eyre forced a reaction-save from Dusty Hudock in the 16th minute. Eyre drilled a hard shot on-target from outside the 18-yard box that Hudock turned around the post.
In the 21st minute Charleston doubled its lead as Paul Conway curled a free-kick past Warren into the top right-hand corner of the goal from just outside the box.
In the 24th minute former Battery midfielder Marco Feruzzi hit a vicious shot at the goal from 20 yards out. The ball was worked out to him from corner but his first-time effort was saved by Hudock.
Steve Klein capped off the scoring in the 37th minute. The ball was crossed from the right-side to the center. Henderson headed it at the goal but it cannoned back off the crossbar. Klein jumped for the deflection and snapped a header down and into the goal.
After the break Minnesota rarely threatened as the Battery romped home for its first A-League title. The final score, Charleston Battery 3 – Minnesota Thunder 0.
Scoring Summary Goal (Assist) Minute
Charleston Battery Chronopoulos 13
Charleston Battery Conway 21
Charleston Battery Klein (Henderson) 37
Team Summary Charleston Battery
Dusty Hudock, Andrew Lewis, Mark Watson, Terry Phelan (Linval Dixon 57), John Wilson, Ted Chronopoulos (Kevin Jackson 70), Steve Klein, Rick Titus, Chris Goos (Ryan Trout 74), Paul Conway (Seamus Donnelly 83), Josh Henderson (Chris Bagley 83)
Players Not Used - Chris Doyle, Blair Scoullar
SHOTS: 13 (Conway 3); SAVES: 5 (Hudock 5); FOULS: 10 (Titus 2); CORNER KICKS: 2; OFFSIDES: 2; PENALTY KICKS: (NONE); CAUTIONS: Phelan 15, Wilson 32; EJECTIONS: (NONE)
Team Summary Minnesota Thunder
Joe Warren, Mark Schulte, Dustin Branan, Steve Shak (Marshall Morehead 74), Adam Eyre, Donny Gramenz, Kevin Anderson (Hugo Llamas 84), Marco Ferruzzi, Amos Magee (Zafer Killickan 76), Johnny Torres (Melvin Tarley 84), Johnny Menyongar
Players Not Used - Brad Swenby, Jason Williams, Alun Hudson
SHOTS: 10 (Ferruzzi 4); SAVES: 4 (Warren 4); FOULS: 5 (Shak 2); CORNER KICKS: 7; OFFSIDES: 1; PENALTY KICKS: (NONE); CAUTIONS: (NONE); EJECTIONS: (NONE)
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