FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC (10-8-7, 37 PTS) earned a crucial 1-0 road win over Lexington SC (4-18-5, 17 PTS) on Friday evening, snapping a six-match winless streak in the process. The lone goal of the match came early in the first half, when Fort Lauderdale United forced an own goal from the hosts to take an early lead. From there, it was a gritty, hard-fought 90 minutes, with Fort Lauderdale holding firm defensively to secure all three points. The result comes at a pivotal moment, as Fort Lauderdale now sits poised to make a late push in the final stretch of the inaugural USL Super League season. With just three matches remaining, a midweek road test against DC Power FC is next on the schedule.
Fort Lauderdale United will have a short turnaround for its Tuesday night matchup with DC Power FC in the nation’s capital on May 20. The two sides have faced off three times this season, with the clubs owning an even split through three matches with a win and a draw a piece. Fort Lauderdale United won the first meeting in DC 2-0 on September 13. DC responded with a 0-1 victory over FTL UTD on November 23, and the clubs tied in the final meeting on April 12 at Beyond Bancard Field.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvRs_vkKuBI
The match got off to a fast start, with the FTL UTD attack putting together strong runs of play down the wings early on. Midfielder Felicia Knox was active from the start, putting a shot on frame that was saved by the Lexington keeper in the 10th minute. FTL UTD jumped out to a 1-0 lead after an exceptional play from Kiara Locklear in the 17th minute. Locklear played a cross that was blocked, followed up with the deflection and played another ball into the middle for Jasmine Hamid. The on-fire Hamid took a shot that deflected off of the Lexington keeper and bounced into the net for an own goal.
Fort Lauderdale United kept the pressure on, with Knox nearly doubling the lead in the 23rd minute with a shot that was saved. Just one minute later, Locklear had a one-on-one opportunity denied by the Lexington keeper. Locklear had another amazing opportunity after an unreal pass from Addie McCain, but her shot was stopped on an impressive save by Lexington SC’s goalkeeper. After 45 dominant minutes, Fort Lauderdale United FC went into the halftime break carrying a 1-0 advantage over Lexington SC.
Hamid made an instant play as soon as the second half got underway, putting together an impressive run down the left side before her shot was deflected out for a corner kick. The lead was nearly doubled in the 58th minute after a great pass from McCain, and Locklear gave her best effort but collided with the Lexington keeper, and was shown a yellow card.
Fort Lauderdale United continued to dominate possession, and Gordon took a left footed shot in the 66th minute that just missed the net. In the 67th minute, the first wave of reinforcements made their way onto the pitch as Tati Fung and Jorian Baucom subbed in for Knox and Locklear. Fung made an instant impact, recording a pair of shots in the 71st and 73rd minutes, respectively. Hamid continued to impact the game, earning a corner kick before putting a header just over the crossbar in the 82nd minute.
As the clock approached the 90-minute mark, FTL UTD made a pair of late substitutions, bringing on Sheyenne Allen and Anele Komani in place of Taylor Smith and Hamid. The appearance marked a return to the pitch for both Allen and Komani, who had been sidelined for some time. The final minutes were tense, but Fort Lauderdale held firm to secure a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Lexington SC.
Scoring Summary
FTL: Aalbue, 17 (OG)
Back in Action
Fort Lauderdale United will return to the pitch on Tuesday, May 20 for another road matchup, but this time with seventh-seeded DC Power FC. The two sides have each won a match on the road before drawing in the third matchup, and the fourth meeting will be the one that decides it all.
Tickets
Season ticket packages for all home matches, as well as single-game tickets can be purchased here. FTL UTD’s next – and final – regular season home match is scheduled for Saturday, May 24 against Dallas Trinity FC for Fan Appreciation Night. The two sides are evenly matched this season, with one win apiece and a draw in their three meetings.