OAKLAND, Calif. — Lexington Sporting Club put together a nearly flawless performance Saturday night at Oakland Roots SC, smashing the home side 4-1. Forward Phillip Goodrum scored a hat trick in the match, the third in club history, to propel the Greens to a statement win on the road.
Goodrum bagged his first 22 minutes into the match. A free kick delivered deep from Lexington’s own end by Aaron Molloy, who returned to action for LSC after missing two matches due to injury, sprang Xavier Zengue down the right side. After Zengue’s initial pass attempt inside the box was blocked, he re-collected, laid it off to Goodrum and Lexington found itself on the board early.
Oakland’s Peter Wilson, the USL Championship’s 2025 Golden Boot winner, responded with the equalizer seven minutes into the second half, but it was all LSC from that point on.
Goodrum notched his second in the 78’ minute thanks to a tremendous effort from midfielder Blaine Ferri in which he out-muscled an Oakland defender inside the box. Instead of dropping after receiving heavy contact, Ferri fought to stay on his feet and found Goodrum lurking in the middle. The forward managed to send his shot through a forest of legs and into the back of the net to re-take the lead.
To cap his evening off in spectacular fashion, Goodrum completed the hat trick by way of a diving header on a cross whipped in by Marcus Epps from the left flank.
Goodrum’s third career USL Championship hat trick ushered him into the company of Ates Diouf (2023) and Cameron Lancaster (2024) as the three men with three-goal performances for LSC. His 2026 goal tally increased to seven with the effort to lead the club.
Not to be overlooked, Goodrum’s final two goals bookended a goal from Epps in the 83’ minute, his fifth of the campaign and his second in as many matches. The goal was assisted by Ferri, his second of the match.
The result moved Lexington to 10W-10L-4D on the season. Although still sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference after Week 28, the club could climb as high as third with a win next weekend in a tightly contested conference.
GOALS
22’ LEX: Phillip Goodrum (assist: Xavier Zengue)
52’ OAK: Peter Wilson (assist: Tommy McCabe)
78’ LEX: Phillip Goodrum (assist: Blaine Ferri)
83’ LEX: Marcus Epps (assist: Blaine Ferri)
87’ LEX: Phillip Goodrum (assist: Marcus Epps)
LINEUPS
LEX: Oliver Semmle, Jacob Greene, Javain Brown, Kendall Burks, Xavier Zengue, Blaine Ferri (84’ Tarik Scott), Noble Okello (67’ Braudílio Rodrigues), Aaron Molloy, Marcus Epps, Malcolm Fry (58’ Nick Firmino), Phillip Goodrum
OAK: Kendall McIntosh, Julian Bravo (45’ Bobosi Byaruhanga), Neveal Hackshaw, David Garcia, Jesús de Vicente, Tommy McCabe, Mark Fisher, Wolfgang Prentice (85’ Danny Trejo), Florian Valot (85’ Bruno Lapa), Bertin Jacquesson (86’ Etienne Lopez), Peter Wilson
UP NEXT
Lexington SC returns home to host Orange County SC on Saturday, Sept. 19. It will be Hispanic Heritage Night at Lexington SC Stadium and $1.50 Beer Night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.
