BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Leading 1-0 midway through the first half, the Kentucky men?s soccer team allowed three unanswered goals in a span of 17 minutes, to give Marshall a 3-1 win in round one of the Conference USA Tournament, ending UK?s season, on a cloudy afternoon at UAB?s West Campus Field.
Kentucky (7-10-2, 5-3 C-USA) came out of the gate strong, taking an early 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute. Freshman forward Luke Maitland fired a cross to the opposite end of the 18-yard box, finding a leaping Masumi Turnbull about 10 yards out, who headed the ball into the corner of the net for his first goal of the season. The assist was Maitland?s first of his career.
The Thundering Herd evened up the score in the 37th minute as John Daniele took a cross from Sammy Boateng and fired home a deflected shot into the back of the net. The goal was Daniele?s fifth of the season.
Marshall took the lead into half, as UK was called for a foul about 20 yards out from its own goal, setting up a free-kick opportunity for the Thundering Herd. Avnett Shergill booted a low line-drive free kick that skidded through the wall of defenders and fell into the back of the net, giving Marshall a 2-1 lead.
Marshall keeper Brad Kennedy posted five saves, to UK?s keeper Dan Williams? one. UK totaled eight corner kicks in the contest, with Marshall registering five corners. The Wildcats finished with 10 shots and Marshall totaled nine efforts.
Sterling Flunder put the game on ice for the Thundering Herd in the 54th minute, taking a John Danielle pass and firing a goal into the corner of the net to give Marshall a 3-1 lead.
Marshall (10-8-1, 3-5 C-USA) had a golden scoring opportunity in the 30th minute as Shergill fired a shot from about 22 yards out, narrowly missing just high of the cross bar.
Aaron Swanson had a good opportunity to give UK the one-goal lead in the 42nd minute on a breakaway through the defense, but his shot was saved by Kennedy, who deflected the ball out of bounds.
UK controlled the tempo of the first half, registering five shots and five corner kicks to just three Marshall shots and no corner kicks.
In the second half, off a corner kick, Maitland had another excellent opportunity for the game-tying goal but his kick sailed just high of the goal.
Marshall registered it first corner kick in the 53rd minute and had an opportunity to extend its lead, as Flunder fired a shot that was blocked by a UK defender.
