Bandits let lead slip away, fall to Edge, 2-1

(Lexington, Ky.)- Another halftime lead, and another loss. For the second straight week, the Bluegrass Bandits Soccer Club (4-10) held a halftime lead against visiting West Michigan (7-8), but the Edge left Lexington with the 2-1 victory.

Forward Moises Drumond got the Bandits on the board in the first half. With 16:50 remaining until the break, Drumond took a nice assist from Keita Placide on a free kick opportunity, received the ball over his left shoulder, and one-timed a shot over Edge goalkeeper Shawn Alexander.

The lead was short-lived however. West Michigan tied the match at 1-1 just 3:01 into the second half. Edge midfielder Marcel Flemming scored the first of two goals in the game on a defensive miscue by the Bandits. Lexington goalkeeper Derek Orf came out to make a save, but the ball ricocheted over Orf and right to Flemming, who had a wide-open goal in front of him.

The two teams appeared headed for overtime yet again, but Flemming put the Edge on top and broke the Bandits’ hearts. With 6:35 left in the game, Ricardo Aleong hit a cornerkick that got by several defenders and went straight to Flemming at the center of the 18-yard box. Flemming’s subsequent shot beat goalkeeper Orf high for the 2-1 Edge lead.

It’s been a season of missed opportunities for the Bandits, and one such opportunity came with 4:55 left in Saturday’s game. Forward Scott Deopere passed a great ball to teammate Kevin Garrison, who was on the run from left to right toward the goal. Garrison had the keeper guessing the wrong way, but his shot just missed to the left.

The Bandits will next travel to Grand Rapids to play the Edge on July 21 and then to Saginaw the next day (July 22) to take on league-leading Mid Michigan. Lexington will return home to Joseph K. Ford Stadium for the club’s final home game of the season on Saturday, July 29, against Alabama, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

GAME BOX SCORE: JULY 15, 2000

West Michigan Edge 0 2- 2
Bluegrass Bandits 1 0- 1

Goals: Bandits (1^st-16:50) Moises Drumond (Assist-Keita Placide); Edge (2^nd-41:59) Marcel Flemming (Assist-Art Ramirez); Edge (2^nd-6:35) Flemming (Assist-Ricardo Aleong); Goalkeepers: Bandits-Derek Orf, Edge-Shawn Alexander; Records: Bandits 4-10, Edge 7-8.