Photo by Tampa Bay Rowdies/NASL

By AARON CRANFORD

Maicon Santos started the Tampa Bay Rowdies three-goal night against the Jacksonville Armada, and he sealed the deal in the 77th minute with the game-winner.

Santos bagged the brace on the night, but both sides came ready to play offensively, as the Rowdies narrowly topped their in-state foe, 3-2, in front of 5,461 fans.

The home team was the first to make their mark in Al Lang Stadium when Rowdies forward Santos drew a penalty and subsequently converted the chance in the 12th minute. The lead would not last too long, however. Two minutes later, Marco Flores had a penalty of his own to convert for the home side, and although his shot was saved by Kamil Contofalsky, he followed up his shot and buried the rebound.

While the Rowdies would go into the half down a goal thanks to Jemal Johnson’s second goal of the season for Armada FC, Tampa Bay would grab two in the second, including Martin Nunez’s equalizer to claim the team’s second victory of the Spring Season.

Armada FC controlled slightly more of the ball in the first half-hour, and it paid off for the expansion side when Johnson picked up his second of the season in the 31st minute.

Rowdies forward Zak Boggs signaled the start of the second half with the first chance for home side, but it would be Martin Nunez to find the second of the night for Tampa Bay in the 59th minute.

The hero of the night would rightfully claim his brace in the 77th when Georgi Hristov had the ball out wide, crossed it perfectly into the path of an unmarked Santos, and the Brazilian slotted it home.

While the Rowdies will head to Cary, North Carolina to play the Carolina RailHawks Saturday, Armada FC head home to host the San Antonio Scorpions the same day.