Lexington Sporting Club defeated Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 2-0 at Toyota Stadium in Georgetown, Ky., with veteran Don Smart and forward Khalid Balogun finding the net in the win.
The win, the first two-goal win in club history, brings the club’s record to 3-5-4 (13 points), standing at 9th place in the league standings. The result also saw the Red Wolves move to 3-7-2 (11 points), standing at 11th in the league.
“We felt that if we could control the ball, which we did for the majority of the time, then we would be able to get space in the right areas,” head coach Sam Stockley said. “We feel we’ve been working really hard at our attacking movements and our final third entries and now you see we’re starting to score goals and create chances. Very pleased with the work today.”
The home team entered the game on the back of three straight draws, the longest point streak in club history that included the first road point at Tormenta FC in the match week prior.
Things would begin well for the home side when, after several unsuccessful scoring attempts in free play, Ates Diouf earned a penalty in the box. With the veteran Smart stepping up to the spot Lexington SC took a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute. The goal marked his third of the season.
The boys in green refused to step off the gas but were unable to find the back of the net by the time halftime rolled around.
Coming out in the second half, back-to-back near goals from Diouf and Nico Brown would serve as a perfect tease for Khalid Balogun’s third goal of the season, which came in the 63rd minute.
Tate Robertson earned an assist on the play after some trickery on a set piece corner split right through the Chattanooga back line.
The Red Wolves attempted to get back into the match but the brick wall also known as Amal Knight in goal was able to maintain the shut out for the home side just one match removed from a nine-save performance that earned him a place on the Week 12 USL League One Team of the Week.
“It feels good, it’s been a long time coming,” Knight said. “We work hard organizing each week and each day to get the team right and the backline right. We just have to continue doing the good stuff and keep working hard as a unit and hopefully we can get more results with more clean sheets.”
The Red Wolves controlled the possession in the match, holding the ball 56% of the time while Lexington SC won in expected goals by a landslide, seeing a 1.97 to 0.13 advantage.
Next up for Lexington SC is a road trip to face the league leading North Carolina FC on Sunday, June 18. The club will stay on the road for another week before returning home on July 2 for a match against Tormenta FC.
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 League). Launching its inaugural professional season in 2023, the professional team is the pinnacle of the soccer eco-system in Lexington and features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems, a pre-professional women’s team beginning in 2023 in the USL W League and is in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.