Carolina Ascent saw off Fort Lauderdale United 3:0 in their USL Super League Group Stage fixture on Friday evening. The home side made no mistakes against a visitors side that has struggled for consistency. To be fair, Fort Lauderdale United came into this match knowing they needed something from the trip, but the result told a different story entirely.
J. Aguilera opened the scoring after ten minutes, finding the net from a well-worked move. M. Corbin doubled the lead from the penalty spot at the half-hour mark, and A. Coleman made it three before the break. Three goals in the first thirty-eight minutes left Fort Lauderdale United with nothing to play for.
There were four bookings in total, with R. Tappan and A. Hugh on the visitors' side while J. Aguilera and J. Butler were cautioned for Carolina Ascent. The yellows came at regular intervals throughout the match, nothing dramatic, just the kind of discipline that flags when a team starts losing its shape.
Carolina Ascent made three substitutions at the fifty-eighth minute, bringing on S. Groom, E. Simpson and G. Cutler. Fort Lauderdale United responded with changes at sixty-ninth, seventy-first and seventy-second minutes, trying to find something from the bench. By then, the result was never really in question.
Carolina Ascent sit second in the table with nine points from four games, three wins and one defeat. Fort Lauderdale United remain in seventh place on three points from three matches, one victory and two losses. The home side have not won since their last defeat, while the visitors have lost two of their last three outings.
This was a straightforward victory for Carolina Ascent, but not one that will be remembered for spectacle. The three goals were enough, and the goal difference now shifts in their favour. Fort Lauderdale United will need to find answers quickly if they want to climb away from the bottom half.
