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Ryan Davis On His Journey To The Rowdies Broadcast Booth
It turns out the Tampa Bay Rowdies aren’t only capable of discovering unknown talents like Juan Tejada to impact the play on the field. They also do it in the commentrary booth.
You’d never know based on the way he handles himself while calling games at Al Lang, but Ryan Davis had extremely limited broadcast experience prior to taking the Rowdies’ color commentator job last year. Davis, 46, called some soccer games for Rollins college and the occassional high school game here and there over the last few years. The Rowdies, though, are his first real foray into professional broadcasting.
“Definitely chasing my dreams later on,” Davis joked. “You know how people build their career and then they start a family and so on? I started my family and I’m building my career now, so I went the opposite way around.”
Unlike most color commentators you’ll come across, Davis never played the sport at a professional level. That doesn’t mean the sport hasn’t been a major part of his life, though. Davis’s father was a professional cricketeer in Trinidad and instilled a love of all sport.
“I absorbed that from him,” Davis says. “I played a ton of soccer growing up. I played cricket. He actually got me into table tennis and I played at a really high level to where I was a junior champion in my country. I played every sport under the sun but always loved soccer. I played it at a high school level and eventually when I came up to the states for college I started to play in the college rec leagues. I kinda lived and breathed the game. If I was not playing the game, I was watching it.”
Davis is also unique in another way. As much as he loved playing the game and idolized the players, he looked up to legendary commentarors like John Motson and and Martin Tyler just as much, if not moreso. Davis’ weekend routine was set as a kid. On Saturdays it was English soccer with Motson on the call. Sundays were all about Tyler broadcasts of Italian soccer.
“I wanted to be them since I was a little boy at 7 or 8,” he says. “I would literally kick the soccer ball against the wall and try to recreate plays and commentate on them at the same time. Even in my bedroom I’d kick the ball and commentate while kicking the ball to score a winning goal of a World Cup final. Even when I was playing cricket, I’d be doing commentary in my head. I was actually going to cricket games, which are huge in the Caribbean, and in the stands I would be doing commentary by myself or with my friends. It was just something I was always passionate about.”
When it came time for college, Davis’ parents guided him toward a more practical route. He grauated with adegree in marketing from Florida Metropolitan Univeristy (now named Everest University) and landed a job with UK Imports, a company that imports food from the UK. He had a long run at UK Imports, but today his full-time job is with an agency that helps minority-owned and veteran-owned businesses gain access to capital and government contracts.
Those jobs gave Davis financial stability as he built a family in Orlando (Yes, he still lives in Orlando and commutes across I-4 for every Rowdies match. Think about that the next time you complain about your drive to work). Still, the desire to become never waned. Finally around six years ago, as he neared 40, he decided it was time to finally start seriously pursuing the dream.
“What I started to do is talk about it openly with friends, my peers, my family,” he says. “When you start putting it out there, putting it out in the universe as they say, it’s getting real… That’s how I started to get things in motion, by talking about it and taking whatever opportunity that would pop up. If it was somebody new I could meet, a new relationship, or just commentate on a high school basketball game or a soccer game, I would just do it.”
Eventually Davis mentioned his dream to the right friend, one who went to the same gym as former NFL player and ESPN college football broadcaster Rene Ingoglia. Davis had a positive meeting over coffee with Ingoglia, who then gave him the contact info for the Rowdies’ play-by-play commentator Drew Fellios.
“Drew was so generous with his time, Davis recalls. “We talked for like 30 minutes on the phone. I’m just yapping away on the phone like this nervous high school kid and Drew is just this pro listening to me and answering all my questions on how the business works.”
That conversation stuck with Fellios when, many months later, the Rowdies were looking to make a change in the booth, Suddenly Fellios was the one calling out the blue to see if he was willing to come in to produce Art Dryce’s studio for an audition.
“I almost crashed my car that time cause I was driving,” Davis says. “At that point I was so excited I was skipping around like Marry Poppins. I studied every game I could get under the sun. I read every book I had back to front and followed up on the Rowdies, looked at their team and just kind of memorized as much as I could.”
Davis’ audition went well enough for him to get invited to call some matches during last year’s Suncoast Invitational. Fellios was unavailable for Davis’ first two matches but he was there for the third. The live chemistry between the two that was exactly what the Rowdies were hoping to see, so they offered Davis the job on the spot.
Fellios and Davis balance each other well. While Davis has been a lifelong lover of the sport, Fellios came to the sport later in life. In turn, Fellios has helped Davis hone his skills in the booth after working for years as a broadcaster with ESPN in various sports. Two years into working together and the two have established a working partership that feels organic.
“Drew and I, if we weren’t doing a broadcast together we’d be hanging out at a bar having a couple drinks or watching a game together. It’s a relationship that goes beyond the booth. We can hang out and talk about stuff and poke fun at each other, that kind of stuff. It really kind of makes things easier when the red light goes on and the ball kicks off because we take what we do off camera on to the camera. It was really important to have that relationship beyond the commentary booth.”
While many teams across the USL have elected to outsource their broadcasts to crews working remotely from Vista Productions in South Florida, the Rowdies have stuck with having their own full-time commentators. It’s a move that has especially paid off this year, as more fans have needed to rely on the club’s broadcasts on ESPN+ due to the limited capacity at Al Lang during the pandemic.
“The Rowdies make it really easy,” Davis says. “The support of this club is like a true soccer club. A lot of the time, franchises can separate themselves from the fans. A soccer club, where it’s really organized, sticks its hand out to touch the fan. The Rowdies organization does such a good job with that. The support in return is just so amazing. When you come to Al Lang Stadium, which is like a little bit of a fortress, you can feel that buzz. I know for sure the players feel it. I know for sure coach Collins feels it. Lee Cohen just does a great job breeding that down through the club and making it feel like a real soccer club which is a very cherished thing.”
Davis has ambitions to expand his broadcasting career with larger outlets one day. He’s already started doing broadcasts on other USL games with Vista. That doesn’t mean he’ll be giving up his spot in he Rowdies booth anytime soon, though. He and Fellios have a pact to stay in booth at Al Lang for “as long for as long as they’ll allow us to.”
Why leave the part when you’re having so much fun.
“Boy do we get invested,” he admits. “If the camera ever caught us, say someone gets to the endline and squares the ball across goal, I’m a very animated person. If Drew is in reaching distance, my hand goes across and grabs him by the shirt. As the ball goes across the goalline he’s almost in a neck-lock as he’s trying to do the call.”
Match Preview- Tampa Bay Rowdies at Atlanta United 2
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are going for the season sweep of Atlanta United 2 tonight on the road.
Rowdies coach Neill Collins reflected on the strangeness of the match — playing Atlanta so many times in such a short span — ahead of tonight’s game at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
“It’s not just the fourth time,” Collins said, “it’s the fourth time in three months, which is really, really strange. There’s definitely something new to that.”
The strangeness has been there all season in a condensed season. But there’s a degree of familiarity between the two clubs now and for Tampa Bay, a great degree of success. The Rowdies lead the season series 3-0, which began with a 2-1 win at Al Lang Stadium all the way back in July when the season resumed.
Now, with just a few weeks remaining in the regular season, Atlanta (2-8-3) is one of just three USL Championship clubs that have been eliminated from postseason. On the other hand, the Rowdies (8-2-3) lead Group H despite dropping their last game to Charleston Battery.
Despite the huge point advantage heading into the matchup and the series history, Collins isn’t taking Atlanta lightly. He referenced how close Atlanta played its opponents all year long, save from a game against the Rowdies and Charleston.
“They’re a young side, but they’re a very talented side,” Collins said. “And they have very good attacking options. And, you know, we know that we’ll need to play very well to give ourselves a chance to take home three points.”
Atlanta has just one win in its last five matches and its -9 goal differential is nothing to envy for the Rowdies, who are +13 in that metric. The player to watch for Atlanta is Amadou Diop, who leads the team with six goals of 16 total. The goalkeepers for Atlanta haven’t done a great job when it comes to keeping opposing teams out of their net, though. The club has not finished with any clean sheets this season.
The Rowdies can lock up their playoff berth tonight with a draw, win or a Miami FC loss to Birmingham Legion FC. But the Rowdies will be without three of their players in their efforts to return to the postseason. Collins said on Wednesday that forwards Juan Tejada and Lucky Mksona and midfielder Yann Ekra will all be unavailable against Atlanta.
He does, however, hope to have the trio back before the Sept. 26 game against Miami FC. Tampa Bay gets a welcome 10 days between games after playing three games in 10 days, albeit going 2-1-0 in that stretch.
Collins said the break after Atlanta comes at a “perfect time,” but admitted he may take that back depending on tonight’s result.
I think if someone had told me going into Atlanta we’d be sitting at the points total we’re at, I’d be relatively pleased with that,” he said. “I always want more. Especially… I think we could beat anyone. I don’t see why we couldn’t have been unbeaten but we’re not, so we’re in a good spot and just know we’re capitalizing on that.”
Tampa Bay Rowdies Honor Lifelong Fan After His Passing
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (September 3, 2020) – Diehard Tampa Bay Rowdies fans probably know Mary and Dieter Karnstedt.
The couple, usually in matching gear, have been sitting (and cheering loudly) in Section 105 for the past eight years.
Eight years in section 105 is a long time, but their devotion to the Rowdies goes back way further than that.
Dieter, who played soccer for the German army, moved to the States and attended his first Rowdies match in 1976.
“He was a life season ticket holder all those years ago – I didn’t know him then,” Mary said.
Little did he know, that’s where he’d find his wife. But it wasn’t love at first sight.
“I saw him at a game, he was sitting about as far away as you are. My girlfriend took me to one game all those years. And I said that guy is going to have a heart attack, look at him screaming at the referee!” Mary recalled.
The pair didn’t actually meet until two years later, when that same friend decided to play matchmaker.
“I said, that German fellow? He talks too much!” Mary laughed.
And from that moment forward, the pair were inseparable.
Mary grew to be as fanatical about soccer – or football – as Dieter called it.
When the team made its return in 2010, they were one of the first to buy season tickets. They went to every game and got to know the staff and players well.
Mary routinely crocheted scarves for the players. The couple would greet the team at the airport whenever they returned from away games.
After all those years, they were an integral part of the team.
Mary and Dieter were excited to return when the league resumed play on July 11.
But a few days before that could happen, Dieter was involved in a car accident.
He spent 43 days in the hospital – but the complications from the crash finally proved to be too much for Dieter. He passed away on August 18.
Due to Covid-19 precautions, Mary wasn’t allowed to see him very much.
“The 43 days he was in the hospital I might have spent a total of 20 hours with him,” Mary said. “I was with him til the very end. Til the very last breath.”
Through her tears and grief, Mary returned to Al Lang Stadium just a few days later – the match versus Atlanta United on August 22.
“[Head Coach Neill Collins] stopped the whole team right here at this flag and had all the guys [salute] Dieter and they gave Dieter that dedicated game,” Mary said. “The goalkeeper gave me his jersey and the captain gave me his captain’s armband. And I was just beside myself with everything they had done. I knew that Dieter was here.”
Despite the Covid-19 fan restrictions, the team gave her tickets to come to the rest of the games this season.
“The told me that I was family and that family had other privileges,” she said.
Ryan Helfrick, director of sales and corporate partnerships, has known Mary since 2010 and has been in constant contact with her during this time.
“We consider her family, and when family’s in need and hurting, we wanna be there for them and comfort them so we’ve been there as much as possible for Mary,” he said.
The stadium may be a little emptier now, but there’s no lack of love for the Karnstedts.
“I wouldn’t be making it if they hadn’t shown me all this love,” Mary said.
Match Preview- Miami FC at Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are facing a familiar opponent tonight in Miami FC, but they’re coming off a first this season — a loss.
On Saturday the Rowdies were shut out for the first time this season and suffered defeat at the hands of Charleston Battery on the road. The loss narrowed Tampa Bay’s lead in Group H and drew Charleston to within one point of the top seed in the group.
Tonight, though, the Rowdies host last-place Miami at 7:30. The game will be aired live on ESPN+. In two games against their fellow Florida foe, Tampa Bay won in dominant fashion and more recently played Miami to a draw.
“We’re learning about these teams all the time as they play,” coach Neill Collins said of Miami on Tuesday. “We know what their attributes are and strengths are. But again, it’s just a big part of our thing is we’re focused on ourselves. So I’m hoping to see the type of energy that we’re used to seeing.”
The Rowdies hadn’t been shut out in 12 games dating back to last season.
Midfielder Jordan Doherty is looking forward to getting back out on the field tonight and put that first loss out of recent memory.
“Obviously we were all disappointed with the result, performance,” he said, “but like I said, there’s always that next game.”
Miami and Tampa Bay are both coming off losses to Charleston. On Aug. 26, Charleston handed Miami a 3-1 loss and then defeated the Rowdies 1-0 on Aug. 29.
Though Miami is in last place in Group H, they have been playing much better in the past four games after beginning the season 0-3. Part of that winless stretch to begin the season included a 3-0 loss at home to Tampa Bay on Aug. 7. Since that loss, Miami is 1-1-2 and played the Rowdies to a 1-1 draw at Al Lang on Aug. 16.
“They’re looking for a win just as much as we are,” Collins said of Miami. “But I just believe our guys, I know their personalities.”
Collins said now that the first loss is out of their system, the Rowdies are just eager to get back on the field and remedy it.
If they are to bounce back, though, it will have to be without forward Lucky Mksona, who will not be available once again.
“We missed Lucky once again on Saturday evening,” Collins said. “That’s the moment that he’s made for, but as long as we can get him back for the end of the year, that would be huge.”
Though the Rowdies were missing Mksona’s goal-scoring capabilities, they announced an addition on the defense that should help the team down the stretch. Defender Alex Davey signed with the club from Hartford Athletic and will join a back line that has helped goalkeeper Evan Louro produce four clean sheets this season.
“Alex I think just goes to the depth,” Collins said of the team’s newest player. “And now we’re ready to go in and give our best shot you know the end of the season.”
Tonight’s game is just the latest in a series of quick turnarounds for the Rowdies in the shortened season. Tampa Bay is playing on short rest once again following Saturday’s game and a long trip back home. And there won’t be time for rest after Miami either as the Rowdies draw Philadelphia Union II on Sunday at Al Lang.
“I’m sure the players will want to really take advantage of two back-to-back home games and enjoy playing at home,” Collins said.
Rowdies Sign Defender Alexander Davey
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (September 2, 2020) –The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Wednesday the had acquired defender Alex Davey from Hartford Athletic for the remainder of the 2020 USL Championship Season. Per club policy, further contract details were not disclosed.
“I’m delighted to be here at such a huge club and very grateful for the opportunity,” said Davey. “Now it is time to get to work and do everything I can to help the team in their push for the 2020 USL Championship.”
Davey arrived at Hartford Athletic a season ago and made 16 appearances for the side between the 2019 and 2020 Championship seasons. Prior to making the move to the United States, he spent his youth career and early stages of his professional career with Chelsea of the Premier League.
Between 2014 and 2017, Davey also had loan spells with Scunthorpe United, Peterborough United, Stabaek and Crawley Town. He signed with Cheltenham Town in 2017 after his departure from Chelsea and was then loaned out to Torquay United. In 2018, prior to joining Harford, Davey played for Boreham Wood, and Dagenham & Redbridge of the National League.
“To be able to add a player of Alex’s quality at this point in the season is great,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins. “Thanks to the club for allowing us to make this happen as I now feel we have depth and competition in every position.”
Match Preview – Tampa Bay Rowdies at Charleston Battery
When the Tampa Bay Rowdies last played Charleston Battery just under a month ago it began a season-best three-game winning streak for the Rowdies.
Those three games allowed Tampa Bay to firmly assert itself as the top team in Group H, but Charleston comes into tonight’s matchup with a three-game winning streak of its own and is threatening the Rowdies’ first place spot.
Tampa Bay defeated Charleston 2-0 on July 31 at Al Lang Stadium. Neither team has lost since.
Charleston, however, comes into the game — which airs tonight at 7:30 on ESPN+ — having scored three goals in each of its last three games, something the Rowdies have only done once this season. That rising attack is a focus for head coach Neill Collins.
“They’re playing some really nice stuff,” Collins said of Charleston’s offense. “They get a lot of numbers forward, they’ve got some really good options in their attack.”
Collins said the Rowdies have a very good defensive record, which holds true — the team has allowed just three goals in its past six games — but Tampa will have to be aware of Charleston forward Zeiko Lewis. The four goals Lewis has scored account for more than a quarter of Charleston’s total offense this season, and he’s second on the team in assists with two.
The Rowdies and Charleston play each other two more times after tonight’s game and their tight race for first place in the group will make these games of even greater importance. Tampa Bay heads into the game with 21 points — tied for the most in the USL Championship — and Charleston has 17. A win for Charleston would pull them to within one point of first place in the group while the Rowdies could create some distance with a win of their own.
“When one is playing two, it’s a great challenge it isn’t even subconscious; you’re just conscious of the fact that it’s good to get that psychological edge and the three points,” Collins said. “So there’s two sides to it: from a psychological point of view, we want to go in there and we want to perform and it’d be great if we could own it and perform really well and get the three points, then the mathematical side of things looks really good.
“But that’s the thing with this new format is teams are never really out of it when you’re playing them three times.”
The schedule has ramped up for the Rowdies as of late with less and less time between games. Tampa Bay has another quick turnaround after Charleston with a Wednesday home game against Miami FC.
Defender Kyle Murphy, though, isn’t worried about the team’s fitness when it comes to keeping up with the schedule.
“You get halfway through the season, you want everyone to be fit and ready to play,” Murphy said. “And our depth of our squad is really good so that’s going to be really important to keep everyone fit and healthy, and everyone’s going to be ready to play whenever they’re numbers called.”
The Rowdies will be without forward Lucky Mkosana, Collins said. Mkosana was injured in last week’s win over Atlanta United 2. Collins alluded to his injury keeping him sidelined “longterm,” which doesn’t bode well for Tampa Bay’s attack.
Mkosana has only played 172 minutes across seven matches but has two goals in limited playing time.
Collins said the schedule setup and the frequency with which the Rowdies play their group opponents make it so that there’s no secrets, but he said that familiarity with other teams can actually lead to second guessing. He said he’s made tactical changes and knows other teams are doing the same week to week.
“I think what we found and that our players have done well is they’ve adapted in the game,” Collins said. “And I know that’s something that Charleston does well. However, the first 10, 20, 30 minutes go, it can all change because both teams are very good to adapt to the circumstances.
USL Championship Team of the Week Week 9
Phoenix’s Solomon Asante claims Player of the Week honors after two goals, three assists in two games
TAMPA, Fla. – The USL Championship announced the Team of the Week Presented by Cleer Audio for Week 9 of the 2020 regular season on Tuesday, with Phoenix Rising FC’s Solomon Asante earning Player of the Week honors after recording two goals and three assists over Rising FC’s pair of outings during the week.
The Championship’s 2019 Most Valuable Player recorded one goal and two assists in Phoenix’s 4-1 victory against the LA Galaxy II last Wednesday, in the process becoming the second player to reach 40 goals and 30 assists in the league’s regular season all-time, and then notched a goal and assist in Rising FC’s 3-3 draw against Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday night.
Asante earned 60 percent of the ballot for his performances. Miami FC’s Romario Williams received 20 percent of the poll after recording three goals in two games as his side took four points from two games, including its first win in the Championship on Sunday night against the Charlotte Independence.
The Championship’s Player of the Week is selected by the USL National Media Panel, which is made up of representatives from each media market in the Championship.
USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 9
GK – Daniel Vitiello, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Vitiello recorded a three-save shutout while recording two punches and two high claims in the Hounds’ 2-0 victory against Loudoun United FC for his first career clean sheet.
D – Jordan McCrary, Sacramento Republic FC: McCrary had one assist, completed 41 of 51 passes overall and won 6 of 8 duels while winning 3 of 3 tackles in Sacramento’s 2-1 victory against the Portland Timbers 2.
D – AJ Paterson, Charleston Battery: Paterson recorded one assist, won 6 of 7 duels and 4 of 4 aerials and completed 25 of 34 passes as the Battery claimed the Southern Derby in a 3-0 win against North Carolina FC.
D – Mitchell Taintor, San Antonio FC: Taintor helped San Antonio record shutouts in each of its victories over the past week, scoring once, recording five clearances, 14 recoveries and completing 89 of 124 passes.
M – Tucker Bone, Reno 1868 FC: Bone recorded one goal, one assist and three key passes overall while making eight recoveries and completing 26 of 34 passes in Reno’s 3-1 road win against San Diego Loyal SC.
M – Yann Ekra, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Ekra recorded assist on both Rowdies goals, completed 39 of 40 passes overall and won 6 of 8 duels and 3 of 3 tackles during the Rowdies’ 2-1 win against Atlanta United 2.
M – Corben Bone, Louisville City FC: Bone recorded his first two goals for Louisville and recorded two key passes while completing 33 of 45 passes overall and winning 7 of 11 duels in a 4-1 win against Sporting Kansas City II.
M – Amando Moreno, New Mexico United: Moreno scored in both games as New Mexico swept a pair of victories against Real Monarchs SLC over the past week to extend its lead at the top of Group C in the Championship.
F – Romario Williams, Miami FC: Williams scored three goals in two games as Miami earned four points and its first victory on Sunday night against the Charlotte Independence.
F – Solomon Asante, Phoenix Rising FC: Asante recorded two goals and three assists in two games to move into the league-lead for assists this season and reach 40 goals and 30 assists in the regular season for his Championship career.
F – Alessane Ates Diouf, Austin Bold FC: Diouf had two goals and one assist and completed 22 of 23 passes overall as Austin moved into the playoff positions with a 3-2 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC.
Bench: Brandon Miller (CLT), Tomas Granitto (MIA), Cammy Palmer (OC), Blake Frischknecht (LV), David Estrada (NM), Wilson Harris (SKC), Junior Flemmings (PHX)
Rowdies use strong first half for 2-1 victory over Atlanta United 2
ST. PETERSBURG — A pair of Rowdies loudly announced their presence in the goal column in a 2-1 victory over Atlanta United 2 on Saturday night at Al Lang Stadium.
Jordan Doherty and Kyle Murphy unloaded bombs in the first half on Atlanta goalkeeper Ben Lundgaard for their first goals with the Rowdies.
With wind gusting and rain pelting them in the second half, the Rowdies kept up the pressure but could not get a third goal. Outshot 16-3 at one point, Atlanta drew within 2-1 on a 90th-minute penalty kick after the Rowdies’ Sebastian Guenzatti had a penalty kick stopped 20 minutes before.
Tampa Bay (6-0-3, league-high 21 points) went with three strikers as opposed to their normal two, and a pair of them nearly scored early. Guenzatti and Juan Tejada had doorstep chances during an onslaught in which midfielder Malik Johnson toyed with the left side of the Atlanta defense.
“We’re constantly looking at how we can get better,” coach Neill Collins said. “And it’s credit to the team that whatever we ask them to do, tactically (they do well). Tonight I was pleased with all aspects of the performance, and the shape of the team was one of them.”
Doherty, who turns 20 this week, was idling unmarked 25 yards from goal before Yann Ekra spotted him with a pass. Doherty took one touch to set up a 25-yard rip that dipped as it neared the left post, going underneath helpless Lundgaard to make it 1-0 in the 21st minute.
Guenzatti, getting a well-slotted pass from Johnson, blasted the ball off the right post two minutes later, and Johnson again set up Guenzatti just past the half-hour mark for a header that was saved.
The Rowdies had an uninterrupted 15-touch sequence that led to the second goal, but it was all about the strike. A touch by Guenzatti sent Murphy goalward, and knowing a dribble would send him into a defender, Murphy cranked one from just beyond 20 yards that slammed inside the right post.
Collins had seen glimpses of that long-range prowess in practice.
“I would say it epitomized (Murphy’s) performance tonight,” Collins said. “You’ll always get plaudits for a goal, but I actually thought particularly in the first half he was fantastic. Please remember he’s 19 years old. And he’s becoming an integral part of our team.”
Murphy had another try from distance two minutes later, but it went right to Lundgaard, who added to his league-leading save total because of Tampa Bay’s dominance. The Rowdies controlled play in the second half and ended with a 17-7 shot advantage.
Barely past the midpoint of an abbreviated United Soccer League Championship season, the Rowdies have practically sealed a playoff spot as one of the top two teams in Group H. Atlanta (1-7-3, six points), third in the group, would have to win each of its last five games with the Rowdies losing their last seven to catch up. Miami is in fourth place with two points.
Charleston is seven points back in second place with a game in hand.
In the second half, midfielder Leo Fernandes came on for his first action since being injured four games back. The Rowdies were without valuable holding midfielder Dom Oduro, injured late against Miami last Sunday, and they lost substitute striker Lucky Mkosana to injury after 15 minutes.
