LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Cameron Lancaster scored the winner in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time for his second goal of the night as Louisville City FC rallied after squandering a two-goal lead in the first half to take a 4-3 victory against Sporting Kansas City II on Saturday night at Lynn Family Stadium.

LouCity got onto the front foot early and almost took the lead in the fourth minute as a deep cross from the left found Brian Ownby at the back post. The right winger played a first-time pass back toward Paolo DelPiccolo, who flicked the ball onto Cameron Lancaster centrally for a first-time shot that went just wide of the right post. Four minutes later, though, DelPiccolo scored early for a second consecutive game as Ownby clipped a cutback cross toward the top of the penalty area from the right byline where Louisville’s captain drove home a first-time finish for his eighth goal of the season.

Ownby went close himself in the 25th minute as a corner kick from the right by Oscar Jimenez was flicked on at the near post by DelPiccolo only for the Ownby’s cushioned header to go over the crossbar. Three minutes later the winger was brought down in the penalty area by Sporting goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh, though, earning the hosts a penalty kick. Cameron Lancaster stepped up and shot low to the left corner of the net for his 16th goal of the season, while also taking sole possession of fourth place in the Championship’s all-time goalscoring list with the 67th regular season goal of his career.

Sporting pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time as Enoch Mushagalusa tried to cut in from the left but as he was crowded out as he looked to shoot, he shifted a pass to Jake Davis 25 yards from goal. The young midfielder controlled and curled a shot into the top-right corner of the net to halve the deficit at the break.

The hosts had a chance to restore their two-goal advantage 11 minutes into the second half when a good piece of interplay in the right side of the penalty area by DelPiccolo and Pat McMahon set up Jimmy McLaughlin for a first-time shot that was denied by an outstanding save by McIntosh. With six minutes to go, however, Sporting’s rally continued as after Mushagalusa drove into the left side of the penalty area and chipped a cross to the far post for Jamil Roberts, he laid the ball back to Davis for a low strike to the right corner that leveled the game.

The visitors weren’t done there as a minute later Wilson Harris chased down a long ball upfield and took possession from a defender. He quickly laid a pass off to Roberts, who took a touch as he cut in from the right side and then unleashed a brilliant strike into the top-left corner of the net from 25 yards out that left LouCity’s Chris Hubbard with little chance to save.

But as quickly as it seemed Sporting might grab victory, Louisville responded. With two minutes to go Abdou Thiam controlled a lifted ball into the left side of the penalty area and sent a low ball across the face of goal where Jimenez popped up at the back post to roof his finish past McIntosh and a sliding defender. Lancaster then went close in the 90th minute with a free kick from beyond the top-right edge of the penalty area that was tipped over the crossbar by the SKC II goalkeeper.

As the game moved into the fourth minute of stoppage time, though, the winner arrived for the hosts. Off a free kick on the right 35 yards from goal, Niall McCabe drifted a curling ball toward the back post where Ownby was on hand to head back across goal to Lancaster, who struck first time from six yards out for the winner, ensuring LouCity’s place at the top of the Central Division at the end of the weekend.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Scoring Summary
LOU – Paolo DelPiccolo (Brian Ownby) 8’
LOU – Cameron Lancaster (Penalty Kick) 26’
SKC – Jake Davis (Enoch Mushagalusa) 45+1’
SKC – Jake Davis (Jamil Roberts) 84’
SKC – Jamil Roberts (Wilson Harris) 85’
LOU – Oscar Jimenez (Abdou Thiam) 88’
LOU – Cameron Lancaster (Brian Ownby) 90+4’

Full Box Score