The Greenville United Football Club secured its first National Premier Soccer League victory of the 2025 season in dramatic fashion, edging the Charlottetowne Hops 2-1 in extra time on Saturday at John Paul II Catholic High School.
The visiting Hops took control early, capitalizing on a defensive lapse from Greenville United. In the eighth minute, Ricardo Ferreira applied pressure on an isolated Greenville defender, forcing a turnover deep inside the home team’s defensive third. With the back line exposed, Ferreira calmly slotted home a strike from the left side of the penalty area, putting Charlottetowne up 1-0.
Despite the early setback, Greenville responded with composure. Both sides gradually settled into their rhythms, slowing the pace of the game and trading spells of possession. United began finding pockets of space in the midfield but struggled to break down the organized Charlottetowne defense.
In the 21st minute, Greenville’s attacking pressure paid dividends when a shot deflected off a Hops defender and rolled out for a corner. On the ensuing set piece, chaos in the box led to a handball call against Charlottetowne. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Lawson Abbass, a standout at NC State, stepped up and confidently converted the penalty to bring Greenville level at 1-1.
The rest of the first half saw few clear chances for either side, with both defenses holding firm. That trend continued through the early stages of the second half, as each team struggled to find a breakthrough.
Momentum began to shift after GUFC made two key substitutions. In the 54th and 57th minutes, team captain Abdoulie Mbaye and veteran midfielder Jonathan Makoko entered the match. Their presence sparked new energy, helping Greenville control the tempo and press higher up the pitch.
With renewed urgency, Greenville United began peppering the Charlottetowne goal with shots. Several attempts flew just over the crossbar, and in the 80th minute, a powerful low shot rolled inches wide of the far post, drawing gasps from the crowd.
As regulation ended with the score still tied, Greenville kept the pressure on in extra time. In the 92nd minute, they earned another corner kick. Midfielder Ousainou Conateh delivered a perfectly placed ball into the crowded box, where newcomer Edward “Eddy” Mensah rose above his marker and powered home a header. The crowd at JP2 erupted in celebration as green smoke filled the air.
“I think everybody chipped in because we all had a mentality that we wanted to win the game,” Mensah said after scoring the decisive goal. “We kept building on the momentum, and I had a feeling we were going to get the win based on how we were playing.”
With the win, Greenville United improves to 4-1-1 on the season and 1-1-1 in NPSL play. The Bucks return to action Saturday, May 24, at home against the 865 Alliance. Charlottetowne drops to 0-0-2 and will host Burlington United on Friday night.
