Louisville City FC’s former Golden Boot winner, Cameron Lancaster, made it his first multi-goal game of the season Saturday as the boys in purple took another step toward the USL Championship playoffs.
The English striker Lancaster — back in town on loan from Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC — hit the back of the net in either half of a 4-1 win over Memphis 901 FC at Lynn Family Stadium.
His contributions in part pushed LouCity to nine games unbeaten dating back to the beginning of August with four consecutive wins.
“Strikers need goals to garner that confidence,” said Lancaster, with tallies in three straight games. “I’ve been scoring, so confidence is high.”
Pending results around the league, a victory could have clinched a playoff spot Saturday night; instead, the club will wait until next week.
LouCity (9-3-2, 29 points) is seven points clear of second-place Indy Eleven. Saint Louis FC remained just in the hunt with a win Saturday, boosting its total to 21 points. When those foes’ result goes official Wednesday in a head-to-head matchup, the boys in purple will be officially back in the postseason.
“We have, to our credit, (played) three games in a row really well,” said coach John Hackworth, whose side also defeated Saint Louis FC by a 3-0 score a week ago before a 2-0, midweek decision against rival Indy Eleven. “I love the fact that we came out and did that in the star of this game, because this was the game it could’ve slipped. Right from the get-go, I thought that we were in control.
“Excellent mentality from the group and great mentality to go along with that. When you’re in one of these games where it can be very difficult and can be one of those ‘trip you up’ kind of contests. If you can control those controllable you give yourself a better advantage.”
Lancaster tallied goals No. 49 and 50 on Saturday in a LouCity uniform, helping create his first goal with an interception in the midfield. The forward tracked as Brian Ownby carried possession down the right side, then dished to Lancaster for a one-touch finish in the 14th minute.
Lancaster’s second goal was truly one for the highlight reel. When Memphis goalkeeper Jimmy Hague failed to corral a cross at the face of goal, Lancaster turned away from the net and flicked in another goal.
“Those are pure instinct,” Lancaster said. “The ball was behind me, and to be honest I was too tired to turn and shoot so I just thought, ‘Let me give it a little back heel,’ and it bounced up past the keeper and went in.”
The brace upped Lancaster’s season total to nine goals, good for fourth-most in the USL. In a campaign limited to 16 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s on a pace similar to when Lancaster poured in a league-record 26 goals during the 2018 season.
Lancaster’s LouCity teammates put on a show as well Saturday with Ownby, out wide on the right, cut in and curled a 24th-minute shot into the corner of the net. To close scoring, forward Luke Spencer dished to a tracking Corben Bone for the finishing touch in the 85th minute.
By then, LouCity’s only goal conceded was long forgotten, as the boys in purple allowed Memphis on the board just before the half. That was all, however, from a visiting side out-shot 14-7 and out-possessed by 20% of the going.
Memphis 901 FC came to town on the heels of a coaching change this week, ousting its first-ever manager, Tim Mulqueen, and promoting assistant coach Ben Primann to the post. The club’s sporting director is legendary goalkeeper Tim Howard, also a minority owner.
“It’s tough to say that it’s a gutsy performance, but it is because it’s a tough game,” Hackworth said. “It’s one of those games where our opponent has a new manager, all the players are going to be super motivated and they want to make a statement. Our third game in eight days, and I thought, until the water break, that we were exactly the team that I always think we can be.
“Credit to (Memphis). They made an adjustment, and we didn’t deal with that great. We gave up a goal there, so it made it tougher on us. We adjusted and it was a little helter skelter there in the start of the start of the second half, but I like how we got control of the game back with soccer than anything else. That’s nine points in eight days and that’s just massive.”
Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. Memphis 901 FC
Date: Sept. 19, 2020
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Weather: 70 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 4,900
Man of the Match: Cameron Lancaster
Scoring
Louisville City FC: (2, 2, 4)
Memphis 901 FC: (1, 0, 1)
Goals
Louisville City FC: 15’-Cameron Lancaster left-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom-left corner. Assisted by Brian Ownby following a fast break. 24’-Brian Ownby left-footed shot from the right side of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Cameron Lancaster. 72’-Cameron Lancaster back-heeled shot from close range to the bottom-right corner. 84’-Corben Bone right-footed shot from very close range to the bottom-left corner. Assisted by Luke Spencer.
Memphis 901 FC: 44’- Cal Jennings playing the rebound with a right footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom-left corner.
Lineups
Louisville City FC: 39-Ben Lundt, 6-Wesley Charpie (90’ 5-Jimmy Ockford), 4-Sean Totsch, 3-Alexis Souahy, 42-Jonathan Gomez (67’ 19-Oscar Jimenez), 36-Paolo DelPiccolo (67’ 8-Akil Watts), 80-Devon Williams, 13-Corben Bone, 29-Antoine Hoppenot (83’ 77-Jason Johnson), 10-Brian Ownby, 17-Cameron Lancaster (83’ 9-Luke Spencer)
Subs not used: 91-Muamer Ugarak, 15-Pat McMahon
Head Coach: John Hackworth
Memphis 901 FC: 12-Jimmy Hague, 8-Marc Burch, 3-Zach Carroll, 19-Rece Buckmaster, 2-Mark Segbers (58’ 7-Raul Gonzalez), 17-Michael Reed (73’ 21-Duane Muckette), 23-Leston Paul, 16-Tommy McCabe, 10-Jean-Christophe Koffi (58’ 20-Jose Baxter), 9-Keanu Marsh-Brown (74’ 29-Brandon Allen), 26-Cal Jennings (58’ 14-Rafael Mentzingen)
Subs not used: 25-Jim Barkei, 70-Matt Hundley
Head Coach: Ben Pirmann
Discipline
Louisville City FC: 70’-Antoine Hoppenot yellow card
Stats Summary: Louisville City FC/Memphis 901 FC
Shots: 15/7
Shots on Goal: 8/2
Saves: 1/4
Corner Kicks: 6/5
Fouls: 11/10
Offside:2/3
Possession: 61.4%/38.6%
