The ball finally went in for Danny Whitehall on Tuesday.
It went in for a few other Chattanooga Football Club players, too.
The soccer team scored four goals Tuesday in the remaining 69 minutes of a continuation of a May 20 match halted by lightning and cruised to a 5-0 victory over the Birmingham Hammers. It was witnessed by an estimated 5,700 fans at Finley Stadium on a free-admission night.
With the win, Chattanooga FC drew even with New Orleans in the NPSL Southeast Conference West Division with identical 3-0-4 records, 13 points in league play and 1.86 points-per-match averages. Nashville also has 13 points with three wins and four ties but has a loss and a 1.67 average.
Whitehall scored off a sloppy clear by the Hammers' goalkeeper in the 70th minute for his first goal of the season. The first-year player had seen numerous chances end up wayward but took advantage of his best opportunity Tuesday, punching one through.
"I forgot what that felt like," said Whitehall, who will miss Saturday's match against FC Carolina United due to a red card in the match against Nashville, said. "I'm not one for a lack of confidence, and if I get a chance in front of the goal I'm going to take it.
"I've been off the mark, but hopefully now I've got a few more left."
Felipe Antonio, who scored the lone goal in the May 20 portion, scored on a header in the 31st minute Tuesday for a 2-0 edge. Jose Ferraz added a goal in the 38th minute, settling the ball right in front of the box and firing a shot past the keeper.
Juan Hernandez and Whitehall scored second-half goals, with Kieran Bywater assisting on Hernandez's.
Head coach Bill Elliott missed Tuesday's match due to a prior commitment. He was replaced by assistant Jimmy Weekley, who improved his career CFC record to 2-1 with Tuesday's lopsided win.
"We felt like the first time we played them, we had our foot on their throat, then the lightning comes in, so we wanted to start the game with the same type of energy," Weekley said. "We got them on their heels, got guys in the right spots, and tonight we finished those chances."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.