Lexington Sporting Club defeated NC Hailstorm FC at Future Legends Field on Saturday, earning the first road win for the club on the back of Ates Diouf’s hat trick, which also marked the first in club history.
The win brings the club’s record to 5-10-6 (21 points), standing at 10th in the league standings. The result also saw Hailstorm fall to 10-4-5 (35 points), dropping to 2nd in the league.
Lexington SC entered the match on the back of a 2-0 loss on the road against a vengeful Union Omaha squad, ending a brief run of point-bearing matches for the club.
It would be the visitors who jumped ahead early when Diouf capitalized on a Hailstorm mistake to find the back of the net unassisted in the 4th minute.
Northern Colorado quickly bounced back, scoring a goal of its own in the 28th minute before lightning in the area led to a lengthy delay that lasted over an hour.
Disaster would strike for Lexington after the restart when, shortly after play resumed, the Hailstorm took the lead. Things would get even worse after halftime when, just a minute after play resumed, the home side scored a third.
Not deterred, Diouf scored his second brace against the Hailstorm in the 65th minute after an assist by Tate Robertson on a free kick.
Things would get even better for the visitors when a hectic 74th minute saw an equalizer be taken away for a handball before Robertson scored another in short succession to properly equalize the game.
With six minutes of extra time being added at the end of the contest, Diouf would score his hat trick in the 90+5th minute off an assist by Charlie Machell to win the game for the boys in green, with the full-time whistle soon granting Lexington SC a much-needed three points.
Northern Colorado controlled the possession in the match, holding the ball 51.3% of the time while also winning in expected goals, seeing a 2.54 to 1.23 advantage.
Next up for Lexington SC the boys in green will then return home on August 12 in a revenge match against CV Fuego FC where it will hope to build off the momentum of its big win.
Fans can purchase tickets to the match through the link here.
About Lexington Sporting Club
Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer third division men’s professional soccer), and in USL Super League (women’s professional soccer launching in 2024). The two professional teams are the pinnacle of the soccer ecosystem in Lexington that features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems. Lexington SC in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.