Dothan United looks to use home field advantage ahead of their upcoming match

DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN)—When it was announced that the Dothan United Dragons would be hosting the first round of the USL 2 Playoffs, there was a different level of energy circling around the Circle City.

And that energy made its way to Rip Hewes Stadium on Friday night as the Dothan faithful showed their support to help catapult the Dragons to their first-ever playoff victory.

The Dragons welcomed the Little Rock Rangers onto their home field in a game where defense was key, as both teams went into halftime with the match tied 0-0.

In the second half, the Rangers ramped up their intensity, sending multiple shots on goal that were luckily saved by Dragon goalkeeper Yago Darub.

And in the 73rd minute, Dothan would finally find themselves on the board with a goal from Laurie Goddard, which would prove to be the game-sealing goal, giving Dothan the 1-0 victory.

However, according to the winger from England, the non-stop chants and cheers from the fans proved to be the x-factor in the game.

“After the goal, I don’t think the fans stopped cheering,” Goddard said. “It was incredible, I think they were the 12th man there. That’s why I came to Dothan; Carl promised crowds like that and an atmosphere like that.”

Dothan will be walking into a match against a Louisiana Krewe team that is fresh off upsetting Asheville City SC, the number one team in the country.

For Head Coach Carl Reynolds, he and his team are not overlooking this Krewe squad.

“If they can beat Asheville, they can beat anyone,” Reynolds said. “Asheville is phenomenal, and I can’t say enough about them, and Krewe has beaten them. The reality is, if they can beat Asheville, they can beat anyone, and that includes us, so we have to be at our best.”

But for Reynolds, he knows the Dragons will need that same type of intensity from the home fans for their next matchup.

“They need to pull us over the line because we can’t do this on our own. We’re not arrogant enough to think we can. This is us and our fanbase against everyone else, so we need them.”

The Dragons are set to face off against Louisiana on Sunday, July 19th, at Rip Hewes Stadium.

The game is scheduled to start at 6:00.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.