OKC got off to the perfect start when Jon Brown took advantage of a lackadaisical header from Reno captain Zach Carroll in the 2nd minute. The attempted header back to goalkeeper Matt Bersano didn’t have enough power on it, nor did it appear Carroll was aware of Brown’s presence, and the Welshman intercepted and poked it through Bersano’s legs for his first goal of the season for OKC.

The Greens doubled the lead in the 23rd minute through some great buildup play. Alvin Jones was taken out surging down the right wing, but Cordell Cato reacted quickly to pick up the loose ball and cut it back toward the top of the box for Omar Gordon. Gordon cut the ball onto his left foot and slammed it low and to the right of Bersano to take his season tally to five goals.

Reno came incredibly close to finding the back of the net in the 35th minute and would have if it weren’t for the heroics of Cody Laurendi and Atiba Harris. Seth Casiple’s floated cross to the back post was headed back across goal by Brent Richards to Danny Musovski. Musovski’s point-blank header was saved by Laurendi and the scrambling rebound from Musovski was cleared off the line by Harris.

OKC could have easily extended the lead to three goals in the 64th minute when Jon Brown delivered an inch-perfect cross to Cato across the six-yard box, but the winger’s volley missed high over the bar.

The visitors found their opener through Lindo Mfeka in the 66th minute. Mfeka picked up a short clearance, dribbled into the box, skipped past a defender and fired a shot low and inside the far post.

Reno leveled the score in the 71st minute through two second-half substitutes. Raul Mendiola played a long ball over the top of the defense to Aidan Apodaca, and the striker lobbed the onrushing Laurendi from the top of the penalty area.

Six minutes later, Mendiola and Apodaca combined again and the latter’s flick found Corey Hertzog in stride who was able to place his first-time shot inside the far post.

Gordon nearly found an equalizer in stoppage time after Jon Brown got to the end line and cut a pass back to the top of the box, but his measured effort was palmed away by Bersano.

The Greens are right back to action Saturday night in Colorado Springs to take on Switchbacks FC at 7 p.m. CDT.

This Post-Match Report is presented by Southern Nazarene University. Learn more about SNU’s MASMA program here.

Scoring Summary:

OKC: 1-0: Jonathan Brown, 2’

OKC: 2-0: Omar Gordon, 23’

RNO: 2-1: Lindo Mfeka, 66’

RNO: 2-2: Aiden Apodaca, 71’

RNO: 2-3: Corey Hertzog, 77’

Disciplinary Summary:

OKC: Yellow Card (Rafael Garcia, 54’)

RNO: Yellow Card (Corey Hertzog, 78’)

OKC: Yellow Card (Je-Vaughn Watson, 79’)

OKC Starting XI: GK: Cody Laurendi; D: Alvin Jones, Christian Ibeagha, Atiba Harris (c), Mekeil Williams; M: Rafael Garcia, Je-Vaughn Watson, Cordell Cato (Alexy Bosetti, 76’); F: Jon Brown, Omar Gordon, Deshorn Brown

Substitutions Not Used: Bryan Byars, Kyle Hyland, Kal Okot, Christian Eissele, Amer Sasivarevic

Reno 1868 FC Starting XI: GK: Matt Bersano; D: Zach Carroll (c), Duke LaCroix, Benjamin Galindo (Emrah Klimenta), Brent Richards; M: Seth Casiple (Raul Mendiola, 63’), Lindo Mfeka, Sam Gleadle, Will Segmore; F: Danny Musovski (Aidan Apodaca, 63’), Corey Hertzog

Substitutions Not Used: Damion Lewis, Nathan Aune, Mark Hernandez, Thomas Janjigian