MACOMB,ILL. – A late goal by Western Illinois salvaged a 1-1 tie against the Liberty Flames in an Ohio Valley Conference matchup Sunday afternoon at Jack mackenzie Alumni Field. The draw extends Liberty’s road trip through Illinois without a loss, following a 2-2 tie with Eastern Illinois on Thursday.
The contest saw Liberty forward Leo Conneh put the Flames ahead in the 32nd minute with his fifth goal of the season, positioning him as a key offensive threat for Liberty and among the OVC’s leading scorers. Though, Western Illinois midfielder Benjamin Graham equalized in the 81st minute, capitalizing on a rebound off a penalty kick save. The tie impacts both teams’ conference standings as Liberty moves to 3-1-3 in OVC play and 7-3-5 while Western Illinois improves to 1-2-4 in conference and 3-9-4 overall.
Scoring Summary
32′ – LIBERTY – Leo Conneh (Unassisted)
81′ – WIU – Benjamin graham (Unassisted)
Key Stats & Notes
* Liberty dominated possession with a 17-4 advantage in shots, including 6-2 in shots on goal.
* Western Illinois earned a 4-2 edge in corner kicks.
* The Leathernecks played with a man down for a important portion of the game after receiving a red card in the 39th minute.
* Liberty goalkeeper Tyler Beck recorded one save, while Western Illinois’ Micah Ramirez made five.
* Liberty’s record on the road this season is now 1-1-4, with all three OVC road games ending in ties.
Next Up
Liberty (7-3-5, 3-1-3 OVC) will return to Lynchburg for its final home match of the season against SIUE on [Date – not provided in original text] at 2 p.m. at Osborne Stadium. The game will be particularly poignant as it marks senior Day for eight Liberty players and the final home game for head coach Kelly Findley, who announced his retirement at the end of the season.
