Charleston Battery fans held their breath until the final whistle Wednesday night as the Black and Yellow managed to draw even against Indy Eleven in their first ever meeting thanks to a 94th minute stunner from Tah Brian Anunga.

The entire second half was a wild, back-and-forth affair, but first, let’s start at the beginning.

As per the norm this season since switching to an unbeaten 3–4–2–1 formation, the Battery took a majority of the first half to probe and learn Indy’s 4–1–4–1 man-in-the-middle formation. It was their first meeting since Indy Eleven left the NASL for the greener pastures of the USL.

Indy Eleven starting XI in 4–1–4–1 vs. The Battery in 3–4–2–1

But Indy struck first with a free kick eerily reminiscent of the Nashville free kick goal Saturday. After a yellow card issued to future-hero Tah Brian Anunga in the 43rd, Indy’s Brad Ring toe-tapped a free kick on the right side to Sonny Saad, who bent a rocket from 30 yards out, through the collapsed Battery wall and around the right post putting Indy up before the half, 1–0.

Both teams probed back and forth for the first 17 minutes of the second half, and then the Battery evened the score. In the 62nd minute, Kotaro Higashi sent a pass up the left side to Gordon Wild. Wild turned and saw his shot from atop the 18 yard box deflected by an Indy defender. However, Caribbean Jedi O’Brian “Obi” Woodbine was left unmarked and charged up the right side. He went to 110% on his internal reactor to pick up the deflection just outside the six yard box and got his shot past Indy keeper Fon Williams to level it at 1–1.

In the 78th minute, controversy struck with head referee Luis Guardia presiding. Part-time soccer player and full-time **** Jack McInerney, who was retroactively suspended in week 5 by the USL due to a late hit and no-call, made his presence known again. In Week 5, FC Cincinnati’s Kenny Walker had to be subbed off and missed the following week with a concussion after this late hit from McInerney.

McInerney late hit and no-call in Week 4 #INDvFCC

But Wednesday night’s altercation happened directly in front of the head referee and still, the wrong call was made. McInerney, when confronted by the Battery’s Vincenzo Candela about a lack of sportsmanship in failing to kick the ball back after a play, lashed out and pushed Candela in the face, knocking him to the pitch. McInerney was only issued a yellow instead of an automatic red and sent off, which would have immediately changed the game.

McInerney Yellow Card instead of Red Card #INDvCHS

Perhaps using the missed red card as motivation, the Battery capitalized a few minutes after the foul. Anunga sent a long pass down the right side which was picked up by Nico Rittmeyer, who sent a perfect cross in from the goal line to a waiting Ataulla “The Slayer” Guerra to put the Battery in the lead, 2–1.

And, for the seventh time this season, Guerra entertained Battery fans with his post goal celebration, this time with a snake charmer impression.

In the 85th minute though, a long cross from the right side by Indy was cleared out of the box, but a leaping Matt Watson headed back in. G.I. Joe Kuzminsky secured the ball off the bounce, however McInerney, who should have been sent off seven minutes earlier, made contact with Skylar Thomas at the spot as they both attempted to play the ball.

McInerney of course dove, drawing out Guardia’s yellow card for Thomas and awarding Indy an unjust penalty kick. Ayoze Garcia sent the ball off his left foot into the top right of the net, going the opposite direction of a diving Kuzminsky and putting Indy even with the Battery at 2–2.

At 90+3, yet another handball call would go against the Battery. This time, Indy took a free kick 25 yards out, and Ayoze sent his shot on the left side, around the Battery wall, and just above the reach of a diving Kuzminsky, putting Indy Eleven up 3–2 with just one minute left in stoppage time.

Brutal.

But the Battery were not finished.

With one last chance to counter, the Battery led a valiant charge up field, and at 90+4, Neveal Hackshaw (with #12thMan Curtis in tow) sent a pass forward to Guerra who checked up just inside the 18 yard box and laid out a perfect back pass to a charging Anunga.

Anunga’s shot, from 18 yards out, sailed through three Indy defenders and a diving Williams to even the score at 3–3 in dramatic fashion. The total time to drive the ball from midfield and score? Nine seconds.

A last ditch effort by Indy saw the ball sail high above the goal, and at the final whistle, the Battery salvaged a 3–3 draw and a point on the road, keeping their unbeaten streak alive at eleven matches in all competitions, nine in USL play this season.

The Battery earned a point on the road, placing them in a tie with newly-minted MLS expansion team WKRP FC with 20 points. Indy Eleven still remain below the playoff cutline in ninth place with 15 points.

By the numbers

Jarad van Schaik and Hackshaw led the Battery with 54 and 52 passes respectively, but Anunga turned in yet another gold star performance with a 81% passing accuracy.

Defense, defense, defense. It is the stalwart of Defended Charleston. Combined, the six players below totaled 13 interceptions and 23 clearances. Indy’s three goals came from free kicks (2) and a penalty kick, meaning zero goals were allowed from the field of play against Kuzminsky.

Match summary

In Defense of Charleston

Obi Woodbine . The Caribbean Jedi in his first USL match of the year gave everything he had left in his tank to put the Battery on the board.

. The Caribbean Jedi in his first USL match of the year gave everything he had left in his tank to put the Battery on the board. Neveal Hackshaw, Ataulla Guerra, Tah Brian Anunga: With the game on the line, the veterans with ice water in their veins remained calm and collected. Guerra’s calmness under pressure and ability to reek havoc against opposing teams created the gaps in Indy’s defense that allowed Anunga to put this week’s practice into action and score.

Box score

Charleston Battery — 3

Indy Eleven — 3

Goals

43' — Indy Eleven — Sonny Saad (Free Kick; Assist: Brad Ring)

50' — Charleston — O’Brian Woodbine

80' — Charleston — Ataulla Guerra (Assist: Nico Rittmeyer)

86' — Indy Eleven — Ayoze Garcia (Penalty Kick)

90+3 — Indy Eleven — Ayoze Garcia (Free Kick)

90+4 — Charleston — Tah Brian Anunga (Assist: Ataulla Guerra)

Up next

The Battery travel to Fifth Third Bank Stadium at Kennesaw State University to face the MLS version of Atlanta United in the Fourth Round of U.S. Open Cup play on Wednesday, June 6 at 7:00 pm.