Fox’s Golden Header Gives #18/14 UK Narrow Midweek Win
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kaelon Fox may be emerging as something of a super substitute. The defender’s 98th-minute header was the difference in No. 18/14 Kentucky’s 1-0 overtime victory against Bowling Green at The Bell Tuesday.
Fox scored for the second time this season. Both goals were of the significant variety, headed off Charlie Reymann corner-kick service. He scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Lipscomb last month.
Reymann assisted for a Conference USA-best seventh time this season.
Kentucky remained undefeated at home (7-0-2), and improved its overall 2016 record to won 9, lost 3, drew 2. Kentucky bettered its overtime record to a mark of 2-0-2 with all of those matches having unfolded in Lexington.
A similar script unfolded throughout the 90 minutes of regulation with Bowling Green keeping 11 players behind the ball and Kentucky unable to break through the mass of orange shirts.
Kentucky was allowed the run of the lot up till 18 yards, where time after time Bowling Green applied the proper amount of pressure to break up Kentucky attacks like a vise tightening on a block in a builder’s workshop.
So perhaps ironically, considering how much possession Kentucky enjoyed over 97 minutes, two defenders proved the difference on this night.
Reymann delivered a trademark in swinger to the six where, just like a month ago against Lipscomb, Fox rose first and highest to head home giving Kentucky an all-important midweek non-conference win.
The quote
“We knew they would be good defensively and be tough to handle going forward,” Reymann said. “Their formation is something we don’t see often so we worked on ways to get forward and how to handle their numbers. We hoped we’d get a goal in the first 90, but the fact that Kaelon could put away a set piece – something we’ve focused on a lot this year – was huge.
“Guys are putting away some of the stuff I’m putting in the box. Credit goes to the guys getting on the end of it like Kaelon. He’s done it twice now so I’m going to keep looking to put in crosses and to get on set pieces. I wouldn’t be getting assists if they weren’t scoring goals.”
The notes
Kentucky won for the second match in a row.
The Wildcats wrapped the non-conference portion of their schedule 4-2, and 4-0 at home.
Kentucky has scored 10 and conceded two goals at home this season – none in its last two.
Bowling Green dropped to 8-3-2. The Falcons fell to 3-4-0 on the road.
Kentucky goalkeeper Stuart Ford kept his eighth clean sheet of this season. He was not asked to make a save for the second match in a row, but ran a tight ship steering Kentucky’s dynamic defense nonetheless.
Kentucky boasts Conference USA’s No. 2 goals-against average defense: .58. The Wildcats entered Tuesday with the 10th best GAA in the nation.
Fox scored his second goal of the season – tying his career high for goals in a campaign as he scored two as freshman, and once as a sophomore before missing all of last season to injury. He scored six seconds after coming on for the first time since 2014 against Lipscomb.
Kentucky improved to 11-8-1 record against BGSU all-time, and won for the third straight game in the series with the most recent matchups having come in 2009 and 2004 before that.
The next one
Kentucky will have the weekend off for the first time this year, before traveling to Boca Raton for a midweek C-USA match at Florida Atlantic.
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