SHORT SHORY

Attacking quality and efficiency was crucial to a 4-2 triumph and an extension of Menace's lead over another title contender.

A second-half brace from a substitute changed the game for the second straight match, as a local product delivered two late goals to help Menace take down Peoria City on the road in Peoria, Illinois.

FIRST HALF

Des Moines started brightly, but the brightest spot on the team was surely wing back Kori Cupid. The outside defender used his pace to torch Peoria's back line, and his exploits would earn him the opener with 23 minutes gone.

A long through ball from Eliot Goldthorp in central midfield found Cupid running into the box with space. Cupid lost the goalkeeper on a fake shot, moved to his left, and fired into an empty goal to give his side the lead.

The home side responded well, picking up the equalizer six minutes later from Gevork Diarkian.

Despite attacking efforts from both sides, nothing else found the back of the net, and the top two teams in the Deep North Division headed to the locker room with honors even.

SECOND HALF (Menace 1 - 1 Peoria at half)

It didn't take long for Cupid to pick up where he left off in the first half.

After scoring the first goal of the season for Menace on a free kick, attacking midfielder Ryley Kraft used a set piece to create another goal, this time on an assist. Cupid met the service with a looping header that found the upper right corner of the goal.

Cupid completed the brace to put Menace back ahead at 2-1 in the 53rd minute, but Peoria wasn't done.

Showing resiliency once again, the newcomers to USL League Two found a way to quickly level the match at 2-2. Adria Sabater Olivas, a late addition to the team from Spain, delivered the goal in the 73rd minute, setting Menace back once more.

Unwilling to settle for a draw, head coach Dean Johnson brought on a pair of attacking changes with just over 20 minutes to play. Soon after, he saw his reward for one change in particular.

One of those substitutes, striker Leroy Enzugusi, put Menace ahead for the third and final time on the night in the 79th minute.

The Drake University product used an electric run through the middle to break past his defenders and latch onto a pass from Kraft. Enzugusi did the rest, bringing the ball down with one touch and coming up with a cool, collected finish from close range.

Peoria pushed on for one more equalizer, but their chances took a hit when Joao Brum was sent off for two yellow cards in as many minutes. His first booking of the night in the 81st minute was followed up by another at minute 82, forcing his team to play the final nine minutes with 10 men.

In the end, it would be the away side who found the final goal of the contest from the same source.

Enzugusi scored a second in similar fashion, running past a pair of center backs and beating the offside flag to score a second inside the 18-yard box.

With the 4-2 lead secured in stoppage time, Menace were able to pick up a valuable three points away from home against a fellow title contender in the Deep North Division of USL League Two.

WHO'S WHO

Starting XI (3-4-1-2):

Grant Makela, goalkeeper; Malik Smith, Alfeu Bertini, Zeron Sewell, Kori Cupid, Neville Morgan, defenders; Matéo Léveque, Eliot Goldthorp, Timothy Mason, midfielders; Felipe D'Agostini, Ryan Kingsford, forwards

Cupid and Enzugusi led the team with two goals each. Their braces are the second and third of the season for Menace.

Cupid led the team in shots with three.

Enzugusi scored on every shot he took, scoring two goals from two shots.

Four players made their Menace debuts, including debut starts from Morgan, Sewell, and D'Agostini.

Goldthorp and Smith each received a booking in the match.

KICKS AND GIGGLES

Goldthorp, Cupid, Enzugusi, and forward Alessandro Salvadego all lead Menace with two goals apiece.

Kraft leads the team with three assists in the campaign.

Menace have twice as many second-half goals (eight) as they have first-half goals (four).

The winning streak is now in double digits with Menace's tenth consecutive victory.

ON DECK

Menace continue their travels with a two-match weekend in Canada, starting with a visit to Thunder Bay Chill at 6 p.m. on June 13. Thunder Bay boasts the second-best points-per-match average in the division after taking four points from their first two matches.