FOOTBALL-Jamaican Williams scores a vain penalty for Switchbacks

COLORADO SPRINGS, CMC – Jamaican striker Romario Williams scored a second-half penalty, but hosts Colorado Springs Switchbacks failed to find an equalizer, and El Paso Locomotive FC beat them 3-2 in the United Soccer League Championship on Friday in the United States.

After falling behind 3-1, the Switchbacks appeared to have been given a lifeline when Williams scored in the 88th minute, but the late effort and ten shots on goal in the second half were to no avail for the men in black and blue on home soil at Wiedner Field.

Williams, 28, found the bottom right corner of the net for his third goal of the season after Locomotive captain Yuma Monsalvez drew a foul that earned the Switchbacks a penalty kick. Still, the visitors got redemption for losing to the same opponent earlier in the season.

The result meant Locomotive held second place with a superior goal difference of +4, with teams winning five, losing three, and drawing one, and locked on 16 points. Switchbacks are third, with a goal difference of -1.

Locomotive put on a spectacular display in the first half to take early control of the match, and forward Luis “Lucho” Solignac opened the scoring in the 10th minute, tapping in a pass from midfielder Petar Petrovic, who managed to shake off the defense with a beautiful display of skill.

Petrovic found the net only three minutes later and secured a 2-0 lead for the visitors at halftime.

Momentum was starting to shift towards the end of the first half, and the second half started fast, with both teams looking to increase their numbers on the scoreboard.

The Switchbacks notched three more shots in the first 10 minutes of play, as well as holding dominating possession, and the pressure paid off in the 61st minute when Jimmy Ockford earned his first-ever goal for the club, nodding the ball into the net off a beautiful corner kick from Jairo Henriquez.

Locomotive retaliated 13 minutes later to restore their two-goal cushion when Emmanuel Sonupe beautifully spun around the defenders in the box and lashed his first goal of the season.