RENO, Nev. – Reno 1868 FC picked up three points with a 2-1 win over Austin Bold FC on Saturday.

Austin Bold FC found the back of the net early in the match with a goal by forward Kleber Giacomazzi in the 14th minute. Austin was up 1-0 for the entirety of the first half, but the lone goal was no match for Reno’s offense.

Minutes into the second half Reno 1868 FC tied things up with a goal by forward Brian Brown. In the 46th minute, midfielder Raúl Mendiola found Brown on the counterattack with a through ball that Brown ran onto and finished in two touches.

Brown sealed the deal with another goal in the 78th minute. The goal came off the perfect cross from defender Brent Richards where Brown was able to head the ball straight into the back of the net after one bounce.

"It's a great start for me honestly, two games with three goals,” Brown said. “It's always good for strikers to get a goal in the first couple games, so it's a big motivation for me moving forward. It's good."

The brace makes three goals for Brown in his first two matches. This puts him in the early running for the USL’s leading goal-scorer for the season.

“He's ready to go to the next level I feel like, and hopefully he gets that chance at some point,” head coach Ian Russell said. “He just has to keep scoring goals and working hard, that's been the big difference for Brian throughout the first year that I had him, I just feel like he's really working hard and he's fit, and he's hungry."

The win for Reno is the club’s earliest win at home in franchise history. In both 2017 and 2018 it wasn’t until the fourth home game that the team was able to earn three points at Greater Nevada Field.

"It's better than the last couple years, our starts have been slow so this is good to get out early,” Russell said. “I think we have a good team, but like I said, it has to get better, and I think we will."

Next Saturday, Reno hits the road to take on Fresno FC at Chukchansi Park. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT and the official Reno 1868 FC Watch Party will be held at Mellow Fellow Pub located at 300 E Second Street. Reno will be at home again on March 30th to take on OKC Energy FC.

Reno 1868 FC Starting XI
GK (12) Matt Bersano, D (5) Zach Carroll ©, D (6) Thomas Janjigian, D (16) Brent Richards, D (11) Duke Lacroix, M (84) Seth Casiple, M (10) Lindo Mfeka, M (14) Eric Calvillo, M (40) Raul Mendiola, F (24) Gilbert Fuentes, F (99) Brian Brown

Substitutes
GK (18) JT Marcinkowski D (23) Sam Gleadle, D (3) Benjamin Galindo Cruz, M (8) Will Seymore, M (22) Siad Haji, F (21) Corey Hertzog, F (17) Adian Apodaca

Substitutions
46’ Corey Hertzog on…Gilbert Fuentes off
80’ Will Seymore on…Lindo Mfeka off

Goals
Brian Brown 46’ 78’

Assists
Raul Mendiola 46’
Brent Richards 78’