| USL LEAGUE ONE MATCHDAY 7 | 1ST HALF | 2ND HALF | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE (1-2-1 | 4 PTS) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| ONE KNOXVILLE SC (4-1-2 | 14 PTS) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – One Knoxville SC returned home for the first time since its historic “Cupset” over DC United on April 15, and the pregame celebration continued as Dani Fernandez and Jordan Skelton were honored for making their 100th appearances with the club.
The celebration at Covenant Health Park carried over after the final whistle, as One Knox earned a 2-1 victory over Charlotte Independence on Saturday.
“We knew this was going to be a very difficult week with three games in a week,” said Head Coach Ian Fuller. “I could not be more pleased for the guys, could not be more pleased for the club, the supporters.”
Kyle Linhares, the penalty kick hero in the win in DC, delivered again in the 88th minute. He headed the ball to Babacar Diene, who returned it immediately. Linhares got in behind the defense and finished past Charlotte goalkeeper Matt Levy to give the home side its second and final lead of the evening.
Amid all the celebrations, One Knox still had to manage a fatigued squad that had spent the week either traveling or playing. While some veterans got needed rest, forward Eli Conway stepped up in his first USL League One season and scored the first goal of his professional career.
In the 13th minute, forward Eli Conway controlled a through-ball from Real Gill with his chest and fired a shot that deflected off the post and then off Charlotte defender Reudd Manin before finding the back of the net for an own goal and a 1-0 One Knox lead.
“I’m feeling pretty comfortable,” Conway said of finding his footing in his first professional season. “The guys have welcomed me in very well, and it’s a very easy system to adapt to.”
During the post-match interview, Fuller asked his rookie how it felt to play his first 90 minutes as a professional.
“It’s pretty tiring, but it’s awesome,” Conway answered. “I want it every game.”
One Knoxville had a chance to double its lead in the 28th minute when leading scorer Denis Krioutchenkov stepped up for a penalty kick, but his attempt was saved. Despite the early goal and several promising chances, the match was level at 1-1 at halftime after the Independence equalized in the 34th minute on a goal from forward Souaibou Marou.
“We easily could’ve gone in 2-0. Big momentum shift when Deni doesn’t put that away,” Fuller said. “We had to be a little more composed with the ball, and I think that helped us build the advantage up the pitch and get chances.”
For much of the second half, it appeared the match would end in a draw. Then, in the 70th minute, Charlotte created a dangerous chance that forced a collective defensive effort from One Knox, capped by a Finn McRobb clearance that preserved the 1-1 scoreline.
After missing the early part of the season due to injury, One Knox defender Donovan Williams made his USL League One debut on Saturday. The former Ohio State standout got the start and was on the pitch for 74 minutes before substituting off for Jaheim Brown.
> MATCH DETAILS
LINEUPS
CLT: Levy – GK, Nare (Skinner 80′), Romero, Manin, Dimick – C, Alvarez (Martinez 80′), Amaya, Ortiz (Lyons 80′), Bakero (Manzinga 64′), Jaime, Marou (Nyandjo 86′)
KNX: Garibay – GK, Williams (Brown 74′), McRobb, Fernandez – C, Perkins, Cordova (Murphy Jr. 45′), Baker, Zarokostas (Linhares 71′), Gill (Gøling 45′), Conway, Krioutchenkov (Diene 62′)
GOALS
RIC: Marou 34′
KNX: Manin (Own Goal) 13′; Linhares 88′
DISCIPLINE
CLT: Amaya (Yellow) 25′; Romero (Yellow) 30′
KNX: Gill (Yellow) 2′; Perkins (Yellow) 47′
NEXT UP
After finally returning to Covenant Health Park on Saturday, One Knoxville SC now heads back out on the road for a three-match roadtrip starting with its first match of group play in the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup as it takes on FC Tulsa of USL Championship on Saturday, April 25. The club then resumes play in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on April 29 at Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew.
