READING, PA (June 16, 2018) – The Reading United (7-0-1) train kept on rolling with a clinical 3-1 victory over the Ocean City Nor’easters (4-3-0) in the clubs’ 46th all-time meeting on Saturday evening. Goals from Kalil El Medkhar, Aaron Molloy and Felipe Hideki powered United past their long time rivals and kept Reading unbeaten and at the top of the Premier Development League Mid-Atlantic Division standings.

Typical of a game between the rivals, the match got off to a chippy start, with both teams combining for ten fouls inside the opening quarter hour of the match.

United would break the deadlock in the 16th minute. Midfielder Felipe Hideki played a slick pass to El Medkhar who made no mistake and buried his shot past Ocean City goalkeeper Todd Morton. It was the Philadelphia Union Academy product’s second goal in two games.

"The whole game, the coaches told me to stay wide. Felipe got the ball and I had a lot of space and he played me one touch and I finished it," El Medkhar said of his second goal of the season.

After conceding the opener, Ocean City charged forward and nearly clawed their way back into the match. The Nor’easters Max Hemmings hammered a shot that beat United goalkeeper Bennet Strutz but slammed against the crossbar, denying the visitors an equalizer in the 29th minute.

The back and forth match saw Reading grab a deserved insurance goal in the 36th minute. From a corner kick that sailed into the Ocean City penalty area, United’s Nico Solabarrieta just managed to keep the ball in play with flicked header that hung in the air long enough for El Medkhar to hit an overhead kick toward goal that Molloy stabbed home to give Reading a 2-0 lead. The Irish midfielder now leads Reading with four goals in 2018.

Ocean City would pull a goal back just before the halftime whistle. Hemmings found space down Reading’s right flank and lofted a lovely cross into the United penalty area. Nor’easters forward Abdul Mansaray just beat Strutz to the ball and thumped his effort into the back of the net to make it 2-1 as the teams went to the locker rooms at halftime.

United came flying out of the break, with only the linesman’s flag keeping Reading from a third goal inside the first minute of the second half. Solabarrieta had a goal called back as he was judged to be offside in the build-up play.

Reading would not be denied in the 50th minute as Dawson McCartney set up Hideki for United’s third goal. The Brazilian midfielder scored his third goal of the season as he took McCartney’s pass and hit a whistling shot that deflected off Morton and rolled across to the goal line to push Reading to a 3-1 lead.

The Reading United defense took over the match in the final half hour of the match, frustrating the Ocean City attack that failed to mount a serious comeback threat. The match finished with United taking all three points in a 3-1 victory over the Nor’easters.

“It’s always good to beat our rivals Ocean City. It’s a battle, it’s always a battle and they brought again tonight. So it’s about getting through that battle and letting our football take over. I’m very happy with the performance overall,” United Head Coach Alan McCann said after his side’s win.

The 3-1 victory pushes Reading United ever closer to evening up the all-time record between the clubs. Ocean City cling to a slim lead in the series, 20-19-7. United have the opportunity to level the all-time series on Wednesday, June 20th when they travel to Ocean City to face the Nor’easters at Carey Field.

SCORING SUMMARY
RUAC - Kalil El Medkhar (Felipe Hideki) - 16'
RUAC - Aaron Molloy (Kalil El Medkhar) - 36'
OC - Abdul Mansaray (Max Hemmings) - 45'
RUAC - Felipe Hideki (Dawson McCartney) - 50'

READING UNITED LINE-UP
GK - Bennet Strutz; DEF - Dawson McCartney, Lamine Conte, Kamal Miller, Daniel Krutzen; MID - Zach Zandi (Oscar Ramsay 54'), Aaron Molloy, Felipe Hideki; FWD - Khori Bennett (Mark Forrest 84'), Kalil El Medkhar (Pierre Reedy 75'), Nico Solabarrieta (Gilbert Waso 57')