Hat-trick hero Michael Creswick does a post-match interview after Stockade FC's lopsided win.
By Randy Kim, Kingston Stockade FC General Manager
KINGSTON, N.Y. -- After six straight matches without a win, Kingston Stockade FC managed to right the ship in style.
Playing against a shorthanded side, Stockade FC managed goals aplenty in a 6-1 home win over Seacoast United Phantoms.
Phantoms showed up to Dietz Stadium with just nine players in uniform, a situation that Kingston was quick to take advantage of, much to the delight of the 509 home fans in attendance.
Stockade FC opened the scoring in the 16th minute, thanks to a fine finish from forward Corey Phillips.
Phantoms countered immediately, however, due to a combination of tricky dribbling and some lax defending on the part of the home side. Vincent Gonzalez placed the ball in the back of the net in the 17th minute, leveling the match at 1-1.
But from there it was all Stockade.
Matt Koziol scored the second goal of the day for the hosts with a beautiful spot kick that ricocheted purposefully off the goalpost before going in. Koziol's goal made it 2-1 for Stockade, a scoreline that held until the half.
Unfortunately Koziol himself didn't make it to halftime, subbing off in the first half with an apparent hamstring injury.
And then from the midpoint on, it became the Michael Creswick show.
Creswick scored an extremely impressive second-half hat-trick -- the first in Stockade FC history -- using an array of looping headers and curling shots from distance. The Newcastle, England native was too much for Phantoms to handle, and put the match well out of reach for the short-sided visitors.
With the three goals in the 46th, 87th and 90th minutes, the former NPSL Player of the Week now has nine goals on the season to go along with five assists in just 12 matches.
Anthony Barone completed the scoring for Stockade in the 84th minute, scoring his first goal of the season after seeing his season delayed due to a preseason injury.
The 6-1 victory lifts Stockade over Phantoms into sixth place in the Northeast: Atlantic Conference of the NPSL with a 4-2-6 record (wins-draws-losses). The margin of victory also lifts Kingston to an impressive +2 goal differential on the season.
Stockade FC's next match is on Sunday against Brooklyn Italians at 5 p.m. ET at Dietz Stadium.
Below are all of the Stockade goals, courtesy of @ivanlajara.
Kingston Stockade FC Starting XI: Giddings; Barrett, Liz-Simmons, Koziol, Bogart; Anasta, Fortier, Williams, Tropeano; Phillips, Creswick