Malick Daouda struck a sensational long-range winner as nine-man Clemson held on for a dramatic 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over Jace Donawa’s North Carolina at Dorrance Field.
The Tigers seized the initiative inside eight minutes to stun the home crowd, only for Joschi Schelb to restore parity for the Tar Heels nine minutes before the interval with a composed 36th-minute finish.
Clemson were then reduced to 10 men, handing Carolina clear momentum. With Bermudian talent Donawa heavily involved in an increasingly frantic attack, the hosts laid siege to the opposition penalty area in search of a go-ahead goal.
Yet it was the visitors who produced the moment of the match. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Daouda picked up possession well outside the box and rifled an unstoppable drive into the top corner to restore Clemson's advantage against the run of play.
The contest descended into total rear-guard action for the Tigers when Xander Sevian was shown a second yellow card in the 82nd minute, reducing the visitors to nine men for the closing stages.
Carolina threw everything forward, racking up 18 shots to Clemson’s seven — with Donawa contributing three attempts — while commanding a lopsided 16-3 corner count.
Both sides finished level with five shots on target, but Clemson’s resolute backline survived wave after wave of stoppage-time pressure to close out a fiery conference encounter.
|
