“We went in to make them play around us rather than through us. They’ve got some crafty players when they get into the pockets in front of us, we knew if they crossed balls we could deal with it well, so if we kept them wide, we’d be all right,” Pulis said.

One plus for the team down the stretch is the return of midfielder Austin Martz, who made his first start since undergoing hip surgery in May. Martz, who played for Pulis at Orlando City B last season, had come in as a sub in the previous three games as he returned to action ahead of the earliest timetable for him, and his runs down the left flank caused problems for Reno all night. On Greig’s goal, it was Martz who took the ball deep on the wing and crossed it perfectly to Greig, who tapped the ball in the air to control, spun and fired a shot into the top of the net from six yards.

“It was good to have him back in the lineup,” Greig said. “He’s always dangerous getting behind the defense. We connected a few times early in the season before his injury. So it was nice to have him back. We’re always on same page. He played it across and I was able to get a turn and get it on frame.”

“The intensity and the pace and the aggression that he’s got to put defenders under pressure for us to win it high and transition into attack further up the field is a huge bonus for us,” Pulis said.