Carolina Ascent FC left it late to steal all three points on the road, beating Lexington SC 1–0 thanks to Jenna Butler's 88th-minute strike in USL Super League action on Friday night.

The first half was a cagey affair with neither side able to find a breakthrough. Tensions bubbled over midway through the period, with Carolina's Mia Corbin picking up a yellow card in the 35th minute before Lexington's Regan Steigleder was booked three minutes later. The hosts' frustration continued into the second half when McKenzie Weinert went into the referee's notebook in the 54th minute, Lexington's second caution of the evening.

For long stretches, the match looked destined to finish goalless. Lexington defended with resolve while Carolina struggled to convert territory into clear-cut chances. That changed two minutes from the end of regulation. Emily Morris delivered the key pass, and Butler made no mistake, firing home to send the traveling contingent into celebration. It was the kind of gut-punch goal that leaves little time for a response.

Lexington pushed forward desperately in search of an equalizer during stoppage time but could not muster one. Carolina's Philip Poole received a late yellow card as the visitors managed the final minutes.

The result hands Carolina Ascent FC a valuable three points on the road and compounds what has been a difficult spell for Lexington SC, who will rue their inability to convert home advantage into something tangible on the scoreboard.