**Houston, Texas** – The Houston Dash defeated Gotham FC at PNC Stadium on Wednesday night, with all goals coming in the second half and only after Gotham forward Midge Purce had been sent off after a second yellow card just before the hour mark.
Houston pressed the visitors early with a chance on goal inside the sixth minute of action. Looking to create motion outside the Gotham penalty area, Dash forward Nichelle Prince received a pass from teammate Shea Groom and turned toward goal, rifling a low shot toward Gotham FC goalkeeper Michelle Betos’s goal. However, Betos was able to get low and produce a diving save that kept the score level.
Gotham would also create a look or two of their own, with their best opportunity of the first half coming in the 27 ^th minute for the forward Ifeoma Onumonu. Fellow forward Taylor Smith flicked the ball on for the run of Onumonu into the Houston penalty area, with Onumonu picking her head up and surveying her options. Taking the chance on goal, Onumonu then forced Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell into a good save, though Campbell was unable to keep it completely in front of her with a Dash defender clearing the ball away from the goalline after the save to prevent any further possibility of damage.
At the half, though, neither side had impressed in attack enough to break the deadlock and the scoreless draw continued through the interval.
Into the second half, the match began to heat up when Gotham forward Midge Purce was shown a second yellow card in the 58 ^th minute, having to leave the field and her team with just 10 players. As Houston continued to work their way into the match now up a player, forward Ebony Salmon was then able to give her side the lead in the 73 ^rd minute as the goals began to roll in. Teammate Ashley Sanchez delivered a ball into the box that the Gotham defense failed to clear, leaving a bouncing ball headed toward Salmon near the back post. Salmon took the opportunity well and swung her left foot at the moving target which sent the ball spinning toward Betos and the goalmouth. Initially making a great reaction save, Betos pushed the ball up and onto the crossbar only for it to fall back off the underside and over the line as Houston claimed its first goal.
Then, it took just three minutes for the hosts to double their advantage as midfielder Marisa Viggiano took her opportunity from just outside the box to go two-up. Standing near the edge of the penalty area, Viggiano took a pass from teammate Sophie Schmidt and shuffled to her left and she sought an opening. With no one making a forward run but little pressure on the ball, Viggiano decided to line up one from distance and was able to pick out the bottom right corner with a left-footed shot that curled away from Betos and in.
However, Gotham would not go entirely quietly and would end up pulling one back in the 80 ^th minute to keep the match competitive to the end. Midfielder Kristie Mewis was looking to serve the ball up on a platter via a set piece opportunity on the right side of the field. Curling in a ball to the center of goal, teammate McCall Zerboni was the first to get on the end of it and she did well to send the ball over the line and past the goalkeeper Campbell to bring the deficit back to one goal.
Still pressing ahead, Gotham continued to pester the Houston backline and forced Campbell into a good clearance that was eventually whistled for a foul in Houston’s favor, though the visitors showed their desire to fight. A corner kick into the penalty area saw Campbell jump and punch the ball amid a challenge from Gotham midfielder Paige Monaghan, and though Campbell managed to get the ball clear she still also earned a free kick which allowed pressure to be relieved in the defensive third.
In the end, Houston outlasted Gotham through seven minutes of stoppage time and clung on to their 2-1 win, earning all three points after playing up a player for the final 30 minutes of the game. The result in the Dash’s favor means they extend their unbeaten streak to five games, winning four of those five in the run. On the flip side, the loss is now Gotham’s fifth straight and fourth consecutive on the road.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights