Reading faced a stiff test with a visit to 4th placed Leicester City on Wednesday in hopes of continuing their brilliant run that has seen them win 9 of their last 11. A fortunate stoppage time penalty converted by their Icelandic teen star Sigurdsson provided the margin of victory in a hotly contested 1-2 win. The Royals opener came via Jimmy Kebe, his 7th goal in the run that has carried them from the relegation zone to 11th in the table.

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Ocean City FC goalkeeper Tunde Ogunbiyi (Gwynedd, PA / Boston College) is spending Spring Break in Reading, England, training with Reading FC. You can read about Tunde’s trip by clicking below as he gets a taste of what it’s like to be a professional in England and not only that, what it’s like to be a fan as he was able to attend a league match and two international friendlies.

"What an experience to submerge myself in the religion the British call football," wrote Tunde. "From the culture behind the teams, to the brilliance shown on the training pitch, this trip has been a tremendous influence on my career."

Following one of the best goalkeeping performances in Ocean City FC history last season, Tunde Ogunbiyi (Boston College / Gwynedd, PA) is on his way to England ...temporarily.

The Premier Development League revealed the 2010 league schedule, and Ocean City FC will open its 14th season on Saturday, May 15 against the Hampton Roads Piranhas at Carey Stadium.

After 13 years, the Ocean City Barons Premier Development League (PDL) team will be changing their name and club structure after splitting with the South Jersey Barons youth academy.

Several Ocean City Barons players repsented the PDL club while at their respective colleges this past Fall. Four players took part in the NCAA tournament, another has been invited to the Major League Soccer Combine and a number of others made their mark in conference play.

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From left to right, top scorer Byron Carmichael, head coach Neil Holloway, minutes leader Rory McCrea, All-Conference goalkeeper Tunde Ogunbiyi, All-American J.T. Noone, captain Joe Banks. Photos by Bill Pellegrino.

Soccer fans who would look at the Ocean City Barons’ 9-4-3 regular season record at face value might not understand just how special the 2009 season was. Winning nine games is nothing new to the Ocean City franchise. They have reached the nine-win mark (or more) five of their seven years in the Premier Development League (PDL), but it was their four combined wins in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the PDL playoffs that set the 2009 campaign apart from all the others, including the undefeated 2004 season.

Rory McCrea, pictured here in an Open Cup match vs. Real Maryland, played in every single game for the Barons this year, leading the team in minutes played. Photo: Bill Pellegrino

The Ocean City Barons have announced their team award winners for the 2009 season. Midfielder Rory McCrea (Hofstra / Leeds, England) has been named the most valuable player with Byron Carmichael (Marshall / Lumberton, NJ) and Tunde Ogunbiyi (Boston College / Gwynedd, PA) voted as the offensive and defensive MVPs respectively. The awards were voted on by coaches, team officials and the players themselves.

"Since this was such a tight nit group, we asked the players to vote on the team MVP," said head coach Neil Holloway. "We also included the coaches’ point of view and the front office staff, so we had a true overall perspective for this year’s awards.

Tunde Ogunbiyi makes a save against D.C. United in US Open Cup play. Photo by Bill Pellegrino

Ocean City Barons goalkeeper Tunde Ogunbiyi was named to the Premier Development League’s All-Conference Team, becoming the first Baron to win post-season honors since the 2006 season. Ogunbiyi, in his second season with the club, was 5-4-2 in 11 games played and ranked third in the PDL in goals against average (0.76) and second in goals allowed (8). The Gwynedd, PA native also earned five shutouts, three of them coming in his first three starts of the season, that were crucial to the Barons qualifying for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. His goals against average and shutout totals are the second-best single-season total in Barons history.

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Once again, the Ocean City Barons received a tremendous amount of coverage from NBC40 this past season and thanks to the folks at USLLive.com, the club was able to share that coverage with Barons fans everywhere. Click continue to see all the action, like the highlights from the Barons’ US Open Cup match against DC United (below)

The Ocean City Barons have been eliminated from the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after they fell to D.C. United, 2-0, on Tuesday evening at the Maryland Soccerplex. The Barons held the game scoreless until the 74th minute when a Christian Gomez penalty kick forced Ocean City to throw the kitchen sink forward looking for an equalizer, but they were unable to tie the game. United would add a late stoppage time goal to put the game away and end the Cup run of the tournament’s last remaining amateur club.

Many of the more than 2,000 fans in attendance, many of them Barons fans who traveled down to the game, expected the defending Open Cup champions would have more possession, increasing their opportunities for goals, but numerous players stepped up on the Barons’ defensive end to keep the game level going into the halftime break. (PLENTY OF VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS AFTER THE JUMP!)

Barons celebrate after upsetting Real Maryland | Photo: Bill Pellegrino

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Second Round Real Maryland Monarchs 0:1 (aet) Ocean City Barons

Match Reports: Press of Atlantic City More Information Follow OC Barons on:  Twitter | Facebook U.S. Open Cup website

The Ocean City Barons pulled off the biggest win in franchise history with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Real Maryland on Tuesday night in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

J.T. Noone (Temple / Harrisburg, PA) converted a penalty kick in the second period of extra time to give the Barons their second straight win over a professional opponent in the 95-year old tournament. Ocean City becomes only the sixth amateur team to ever upset back-to-back professional clubs.

The Barons, made up mostly of college players,  will travel to the Maryland Soccerplex in Boyds, MD on June 30 to face D.C. United of Major League Soccer. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m.

"This is undoubtadly, the biggest win and the biggest occasion in Barons history to date," said head coach Neil Holloway. "Beating two professional teams and then to move on to play one of the most famous clubs in the country in D.C. United, it’s really just incredible." (SEE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS AFTER THE JUMP)