Story and photo from Louisville City FC’s website….
Louisville, KY., – Louisville City FC defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2-1, thanks to goals from Kyle Smith and Cameron Lancaster en route to City’s first three points in the league since the end of May.
A resilient City defense kept Tampa at bay for 71 minutes as goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh made four saves on the evening.
What Happened?
The opening 15 minutes of the match saw the Rowdies test City’s backline a number of times but the hosts ultimately failed to penetrate and find the scoresheet. As City looked to break forward, they found their first goal of the night via defender Kyle Smith. Devon “Speedy” Williams ignited the counter by finding defender Oscar Jimenez out wide. Shifting the ball towards the endline for midfielder Niall McCabe, the Irishman put his pass on a plate for Smith as the defender scored his second goal of the year from close range.
The back four of defenders Paco Craig, Sean Totsch, Pat McMahon, and the ‘keeper Ranjitsingh helped keep the Rowdies at bay, though coach Luke Spencer was quick to credit a total team effort in both halves.
Tampa would continue to pile pressure on City’s goal, though, and ultimately found their lone goal of the night after 71 minutes. Recovering the ball in his attacking third, Rowdies’ attacker Junior Flemmings pushed an effort just past Ranjitsingh at the far post to pull his side level.
Not to be outdone, City struck back quickly via a free kick from forward Cameron Lancaster. Lining up from just outside the box, Lancaster placed a dipping effort just inside the top right corner for his seventh of the season to ultimately help secure three points in St. Petersburg for LouCity. The goal was also Lancaster’s 25th in all competitions for LouCity, placing him first on the all-time goalscoring list ahead of former City forward Matt Fondy.
After tonight, LouCity faces a trip to Charleston to face the Battery next Saturday, July 14, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET. City’s next home match is against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday, July 21, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Slugger Field. Tickets for the match—and each remaining USL regular season games—are available for as low as $16 by calling (502) 384-8799, option 2, or online at LouCity.com.
The Key Points:
- Defender Kyle Smith opened the scoring after 22 minutes on a pass from midfielder Niall McCabe
- Rowdies’ attacker Junior Flemmings leveled the scoring from close range after 71 minutes
- Cameron Lancaster’s stunning free kick in the 76th minute handed LouCity the ultimate advantage
Injury Report:
OUT – Richard Ballard (stress fracture)
OUT – Luke Spencer (knee)
Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 : 2 Louisville City FC
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Al Lang Stadium | St. Petersburg, FL
89 degrees / sunny
Scoring Summary:
LOU – Kyle Smith (Niall McCabe) 22’
TBR – Junior Flemmings 71’
LOU – Cameron Lancaster 76’
Disciplinary Summary:
LOU – Paco Craig 41’
LOU – Speedy Williams 44’
LOU – Pat McMahon 51’
LOU – Paolo DelPiccolo 88’
Starting XI (4-1-4-1): Greg Ranjitsingh (GK); Oscar Jimenez, Sean Totsch, Paco Craig, Pat McMahon; Paolo DelPiccolo; Kyle Smith, Devon “Speedy” Williams, Magnus Rasmussen, Niall McCabe; Cameron Lancaster
Bench: Chris Hubbard, Tim Dobrowolski, Alexis Souahy, Ilija Ilic, George Davis IV, Luke Spencer
