Texoma FC kept up their run as North Texas’ in-form team with a 2-0 win over Forward Madison FC.
Madison, now bottom of USL League One, was the team Texoma claimed its first point against, making this battle of the birds a measuring stick of Texoma’s progress since that five-game run of losses in all competitions to start the season.
“I think it was April 19th when we played against Madison and got that first point,” said Texoma FC Head Coach Adrian Forbes. “That was a massive step in the right direction for us, because any point before that was very, very hard to come by. But then we come and get our first three points against Omaha here, and it’s just galvanized the group. I’ll be honest, they’ve had a lot of adversity with the start that we had, again, led by me. That’s on me. The start we had is on me, not on them. I put no blame on them. That’s all about me. But they’ve they’ve galvanized, and despite that adversity at the start, they’re just playing so well.”
TFC took the lead in the 24th minute through Brandon McManus. Luke McCormick and Ajmeer Spengler combined down the right side. Avoiding an outstretched leg in the box, McCormick whipped a cross in that the Madison goalkeeper could only drop to the feet of McManus.
The goal came with a long delay as Maciej Bortniczuk went down injured attempting to meet McCormick’s cross. Coach did not have an update on Bortniczuk’s status after the game. Lamin Jawneh the replacement.
McCormick stung the crossbar minutes later, but the action really picked up in the first half stoppage time.
Jawneh didn’t take long to make his impact, earning a man-advantage for the Birds in the fifth minute of time added on. Knocking on a cross-field ball out of the back from Teddy Baker, the Gambian forward went down under a challenge by Ferrety Sousa. With Janweh running clear into the box with no covering defender, the red card came out with no complaints.
Oklahoma City native and former SMU striker Garrett McLaughlin couldn’t make the most of his near-homecoming in the ninth minute of added time. Winning a spot kick following a foul on the former Houston Dynamo man by Jordan Chavez, McLaughlin’s penalty was well held by Javier Garcia.
Captain Chavez atoned for his earlier foul in the 77th minute by doubling the lead. Ozzie Ramos swung a cross in from the right wing. Off balance, Angelo Calfo headed the ball back to the edge of the Flamingos’ box, where Chavez lashed a low shot through a crowd of defenders and past Bernd Schipmann.
The wet, spongy field claimed its second victim just a minute later as Dane Domic – substituted on only five minutes prior – appeared to pick up a knee injury that cut short his evening.
Forward Madison came close to a consolation as the clock hit 90. Garcia pulled off an incredible reaction save on a Michael Chilaka header from six yards out. With the ball still heading towards goal, Calfo and Will Perkins attempted to clear the ball out of harm’s way. Chilaka managed to have another stab at goal that Garcia scrambled on the ground to deflect over the bar.
The team ceded possession and even the number of total shots in an effort to counterattack and make the most of their chances.
“It’s hard work,” Forbes said of Texoma’s rich vein of form. “It’s grit, it’s determination, but most importantly, it’s working with a fantastic group of men that are fantastic players, and they’re just they’re starting to believe in themselves.”
The win consolidates Texoma’s hold on sixth place and keeps them three points above the playoff line. Portland Hearts of Pine are the visitors to Bearcat Stadium on July 12. The fellow expansion club are one of two clubs to remain winless on the road in 2025.