BOILING SPRINGS --- Liberty converted a penalty midway through the first half for what proved to be the only difference between the Flames and Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon, as Liberty weathered a seemingly relentless attack by the Runnin' Bulldogs to hold on for the narrow 1-0 victory in Big South Conference play.
Gardner-Webb (1-8-1, 0-2-1 Big South) controlled the pace of play for much of the match, outshooting Liberty (6-3-1, 1-1-2 Big South) by an 18-13 margin, including an 8-2 advantage in the first half. The teams each attempted four corners in the contest.
Ali Al-Gashamy (Kristiansand, Norway) paced the Runnin' Bulldog attack with four shots, including one frame, as Filipe Conceicao (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Sami Jilla (Charlotte, N.C.) each made three attempts at goal. Matthew Swan (Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom) stopped three of four shots on target in the contest.
Tim Harbison converted from the spot for the only goal of the match for Liberty, as Sachem Wilson and Blessing Tahouna each took four shots. Scott Sutarik made four saves to keep a clean sheet for the Flames.
The Runnin' Bulldogs came within inches of snatching an early advantage in the 10th minute, when Al-Gashamy's corner came out to Jilla at the top of the area and his side volley sailed just high of the bar from 15 yards out.
Jerome Roche (Salon-de-Provence, France), Jilla and Al-Gashamy each put forth a strong scoring effort over the next 15 minutes, with Al-Gashamy making a run onto a long ball in the 27th minute only to watch his effort hit right at the keeper.
A bit of fortune handed the advantage to the Flames in the opening moments of the 28th minute, when the Runnin' Bulldogs were called for a handball in the box to give Liberty a chance from the spot. Harbison stepped up and converted, slotting the spot kick to the left side for the 1-0 Liberty lead.
Junior Nathan Rose (Bristol, England) came within inches of scoring an open-net equalizer in the 33rd minute after Denzel Clarke (Atlanta, Ga.) nodded Al-Gashamy's free kick over to Rose, who narrowly missed high with a free header.
Liberty came out firing in the second half, pushing forward for a pair of early efforts before the Runnin' Bulldogs launched a quick counter that ended with Conceicao nodding a creative cross from Al-Gashamy just wide of the post in the 50th minute.
After Dustin Peyton's (Greensboro, N.C.) 68th-minute effort was struck right at the keeper from just outside the area, Bryce Wells (Marietta, Ga.) unleashed a long attempt from 25 yards that sailed just wide of the mark in the 79th. Swan would keep the Runnin' Bulldogs in the match with a superb play moments later, charging out to meet an oncoming Tahouna and deny the striker's chance at a second for Liberty.
Roche and Jilla each came within inches of an equalizer in the 82nd and 89th minutes, as Jilla's effort off a well-placed cross from Al-Gashamy nearly found the far post from close range. Al-Gashamy sent a last-second free kick just high of the bar from distance to provide the last opportunity of the match for either side.
Gardner-Webb returns to the pitch on Tuesday when the Runnin' Bulldogs host NCAA Division II Brevard in a non-conference matchup at 7 p.m. on Greene-Harbison Field. Prior to the match, Gardner-Webb will honor its senior class with its annual senior night ceremony.
