FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (April 30, 2016) — Tampa Bay Rowdies defender Neill Collins gave the Rowdies a 1-0 win over the rival Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night, looping a header over Strikers goalkeeper Bruno Cardoso to give the Rowdies a win.
The road win was Tampa Bay’s first in more than a calendar year, since a 3-1 win over the San Antonio Scorpions on opening day last year, April 4, 2015.
“It was crucial for us (to win tonight,)” Tampa Bay Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell said. “We were disappointed with our result last week, so we spoke about the importance of going out and getting three points. I didn’t want to be going into a bye week looking back on a game full of negativity.”
In a game where both teams took their fair share of shots and possession was split roughly down the middle, there was little to separate the Rowdies and Strikers. The teams split eight yellow cards in a feisty, physical encounter.
There were, of course, a few major things to separate the sides, namely Collins’ goal and three saves by goalkeeper Matt Pickens to keep his third clean sheet in five matches to start the season.
After the match, Pickens spoke highly of the significance of Tampa Bay being able to grind out a win on a night when it didn’t play anything close to its best match.
“If we’re going to have any success this year, we’re going to need play like that from me,” Pickens said. “We’re going to have to grind results out on the road 1-nil like we just did. It’s a good character builder for our team early in the season and it’ll be one of those ones we look back at five or 10 games from now where we look back at and say, ‘Man, that was a turning point. We stuck our chests out and took the three points.'”
Collins, who joined the Rowdies in March from England’s Sheffield United, has a history of scoring goals from his centerback spot. He scored 12 goals for the Blades in his time at Bramall Lane.
On the crucial play, Collins advanced forward for a set piece. Michael Nanchoff’s initial delivery was cleared from the box by the Strikers, but the defender stayed forward for the follow-up play. That decision paid huge dividend as Eric Avila’s long cross from the right found him in enough space on the 6-yard box.
Collins’ header looped over Cardoso for the game-winning goal.
“I managed to get a really good header on hit and I was delighted to see it hit the back of the net,” Collins said. “I think it’s important that as a centerback, I try and contribute with a goal or two. It certainly means a lot to me and to the whole team that we were able to win tonight, on the road against a rival. To get a goal is an added bonus. Our performances have deserved more than we’ve gotten from the first few games, and hopefully that’s started to turn around from us.”
The win saw Tampa Bay move up to eight points on the season and into a third place in the standings, tied with the Indy Eleven.
Up next, Tampa Bay sits out its lone bye week of the NASL Spring Season. The Rowdies return to action at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday, May 14 against Rayo OKC. For tickets, call (727) 222-2000 or click here.
Scoring Summary
Tampa Bay: Neill Collins – 78th minute (assisted by Eric Avila)
Caution Summary
Fort Lauderdale: Nana Attakora – 27th minute
Tampa Bay: Tamika Mkandawire – 37th minute
Tampa Bay: Michael Nanchoff – 38th minute
âTampa Bay: Zac Portillos – 47th minute
Fort Lauderdale: Manny Gonzalez – 48th minute
Fort Lauderdale: Gale Agbossoumonde – 56th minute
Tampa Bay: Darnell King – 69th minute
Tampa Bay: Tommy Heinemann – 70th minute
Fort Lauderdale: Luis Zapata – 85th minute
Lineups
Rowdies XI (4-2-3-1): GK Matt Pickens; D Darnell King, Tamika Mkandawire (c), Neill Collins, Zac Portillos; M Juan Guerra, Justin Chavez (Georgi Hristov 46′); M Eric Avila, Michael Nanchoff, Kalif Alhassan (Walter Ramirez 90+’); F Tommy Heinemann (Danny Mwanga 71′)
Strikers XI (4-2-3-1): GK Bruno Cardoso; D Nana Attakora, Gale Agbossoumonde, Dalton (Luis Zapata 65′), PC; M Manny Gonzalez, Luis Felipe Fernandes; M Geison Moura (Giuseppe Gentile 84′), Ramon Núñez (Matheus Carvalho 60′), Jose Angulo; F Maicon Santos
