MONTEREY, Calif. — Lexington Sporting Club extended its winning streak to three on the bounce Saturday night with a 3-2 win over Monterey Bay FC on the road. Phillip Goodrum, Marcus Epps and Nick Firmino all scored for LSC — three men who have now accounted for 13 of Lexington’s last 15 goals.
All five goals were scored inside the first five minutes or in the final 16 minutes of regulation to bookend a USL After Dark frenzy.
Just 45 seconds into the match, Nick Firmino opened the scoring with the fastest goal in Lexington Sporting Club history. Phillip Goodrum, the man entering play on the heels of back-to-back hat tricks, sprinted towards goal to intercept a Monterey Bay pass along his opponent’s own touchline. He won the foot race and kicked it back to an onrushing Nick Firmino for the tap-in.
The score marked the sixth of the season for Firmino and his fourth goal contribution in his last two outings.
Alexis Cerritos previously held the record for the quickest goal in club history when he tallied one 56 seconds into LSC’s Prinx Tires USL Cup matchup with Chattanooga Red Wolves FC on Aug. 31, 2024.
Lexington’s lead did not last long as Monterey Bay responded with a goal of its own in the 5’ minute off a long throw into the box.
However, deep into the second half, the inevitable finally happened — Phillip Goodrum scored again.
Marcus Epps picked the pocket of a Monterey Bay player and laid it off to Aaron Molloy. Molloy casually rolled a perfectly weighted ball across the ground and right into the path of Goodrum, who was charging forward. On his sixth shot on target of the match, Goodrum finally beat the opposing keeper to re-take the lead.
Goodrum increased his goal tally to 11 on the season with the strike, his seventh in his last three matches.
Only moments later, Marcus Epps bagged another for LSC in the 80’ minute, his fourth straight match with a goal to increase his season tally to seven.
Monterey Bay added one final goal in the 85’ minute, but a red card and effective defensive play from LSC kept things at 3-2 until the final whistle sounded.
Lexington improved to 12W-10L-4D with the victory and ascended into third place in the Western Conference standings. Four matches now remain in the regular season for the Greens, the next two of which will be played at The Stables.
GOALS
1’ LEX: Nick Firmino (assist: Phillip Goodrum)
5’ MB: Zack Farnsworth (assist: Quinton Elliot)
74’ LEX: Phillip Goodrum (assist: Aaron Molloy)
80’ LEX: Marcus Epps (assist: Braudílio Rodrigues)
85’ MB: Diego Otoya (assist: Wesley Leggett)
LINEUPS
LEX: Oliver Semmle, Jacob Greene, Javain Brown, Kendall Burks, Xavier Zengue, Blaine Ferri (85’ Cielo Tschantret), Aaron Molloy, Nick Firmino (63’ Braudílio Rodrigues), Marcus Epps (85’ Tarik Scott), Malcolm Fry (70’ Milo Yosef), Phillip Goodrum
MB: Jacob Jackson, Quinton Elliot, Zack Farnsworth, Kelsey Egwu, Joel Garcia, Facundo Canete (45’ Fidel Barajas), Ryuga Nakamura, Judson (63’ Wesley Leggett), Sebastian Lletget (83’ Diego Otoya), Nick Ross (88’ Ballack Villasana), Ilijah Paul
UP NEXT
Lexington is back at home for the first of two consecutive matches at The Stables, its final two home matches of the season. First up is its contest vs. El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. ET. It will be College Night and $1.50 Beer Night, presented by Celsius.
