Union struggle but beat Harrisburg in U.S. Open Cup

It took 110 minutes for the Union to take a lead against its own affiliate in its first game under interim manager Jim Curtin on Tuesday night at PPL Park in Chester.

The Union struggled immensely for the majority of the game against the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL PRO league but came away with a 3-1 victory in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Forward Andrew Wenger bounced the ball over sprawling Islanders goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre for a 2-1 lead in the 110th minute and added another goal in the 117th.

It appeared that the firing of manager John Hackworth would not be an immediate remedy for the team's problems.

Curtin made a few changes to the lineup, including moving Maurice Edu to center back. The adjustments had little positive effect early.

"I still think if we're a little cleaner with about three plays in the first half, we could've scored the first goal," Curtin said.

After 88 minutes of offensive futility, Edu got the team on the board when he fired a shot past Sylvestre to tie the score at 1.

The match was Union goalkeeper Andre Blake's first appearance at PPL Park. Blake, the first overall pick of the 2014 MLS draft, gave up a goal to City Islanders midfielder Jason Pelletier off a rebound in the 38th minute.

The Union will play the New York Cosmos in the fifth round of the Open Cup on June 24 at PPL Park.