Sikeston blanks Central 2-0 in district opener

Sikeston knew it. Central knew it. Every fan in the stands at Tiger Stadium knew it.

Whoever scored the first goal between the fourth-seeded Bulldogs and fifth-seeded Tigers on Monday night in the opening round of the Class 2 District 1 boys soccer tournament was going to not only have momentum, but a massive advantage playing in wet, cold conditions.

That decisive goal came with 24 minutes left in the game, and the Bulldogs were the ones smiling.

Junior Mark Layton Jones slid a low shot past a diving Central goalie to stake Sikeston to a 1-0 lead and the Bulldogs added an insurance goal late to claim a 2-0 victory over Central.

"I told them the first goal that goes in, that team has all the momentum," Sikeston coach Gabe Dement said. "That's kind of how it worked out."

Central forward Matt Chism gets a shot on goal past Sikeston defender Steven Baker during the Tigers’ 2-0 loss to the Bulldogs in the first round of the Class 2 District 1 tournament Monday at Central. (Adam Vogler)

Central’s Ethan Groshong sits on the bench in the rain after the Tigers’ 2-0 loss to Sikeston in the first round of the Class 2 District 1 tournament.

The goal was spearheaded by Sikeston standout Austin Hay, who controlled a ball near midfield and started to make a run that developed into a 3-on-2 with a teammate on Hay's left and right.

As soon as a Central defender committed, Hay slid the ball left to Jones, who calmly played the ball past a diving Central keeper.

"Austin Hay saw a lot of space and took it and waited for one defender to come on," Dement said. "And that defender left our player, and as soon as he left that player [Hay] slotted it to [Layton Jones] and he put it home."

Added Central coach Dan Martin: "You could feel [the game] took a little turn right there."

The second-half goal came after sloppy play over the opening 40 minutes.

The teams struggled to control the ball in the first half, playing in a constant mist on the quick artificial surface.

"The touch was off, passes were off, and that's why I thought the first half was back and forth," Martin said. "I thought they had some chances, we had some chances, and I wasn't surprised it went [to half] 0-0."

Central's best chance came just 13 minutes into the game.

Senior Matt Chism beat a Sikeston defender 10 yards away from the net and rifled a shot across the goal that was stopped on a diving save by the Sikeston keeper.

"We really wanted that first goal," Martin said. "We couldn't put the ball in the net and that makes a big difference."

Sikeston countered with a decent chance of its own at the 18-minute mark in the first half.

Central forward Dashaun Blissett collides with Sikeston goal keeper Caleb Hampton during Monday’s Class 1 District 2 game at Central.

Hay controlled a ball 30 yards out and took several dribbles before firing a shot just wide right.

They were the only solid opportunities for either team in the first half.

"It was kind of tough, but we adjusted to it," Sikeston senior Jared Boyd said. "With it raining, the ball would skip more, but we adjusted to it by stepping in front of the ball."

Defense was a bright spot for both squads.

The back lines for both teams moved forward with key breakups to halt the rare dangerous looking play.

"I thought both back fours did fine," Martin said. "They were good. I thought because they were good the game was in the middle."

Added Dement: "I talked to them at halftime about not letting the ball skip when we are playing defense. 'Don't let the ball skip. Go up and get the ball before it skips. Don't let it play you; you play the ball and win the 50-50 balls' and we'd have a chance to win the game."

Sikeston put the game away with just under six minutes remaining.

Boyd stepped in front of a Central defender near the penalty kick area and settled a cross before rifling a shot off the top crossbar and into the net to make it 2-0.

"It was pretty big putting that one away," Boyd said. "It gave us a 2-0 advantage and gave us a little comfort room for the rest of the game. It was a great feeling."

Sikeston (15-9-1) will play top-seeded Perryville (21-4) at 5 p.m. today in the first of two semifinals. The Pirates beat the Bulldogs twice -- 1-0 and 4-0 -- during the regular season.

Nine seniors played their final game for Central, which finished the season with an 11-15 record.

"This group, nine seniors strong, and I thank them for all their efforts," Martin said. "Not just this year, but all four years for what they've done -- for their time, support and dedication to the program. We hope, and we always say 'Leave it better than you found it.' That's with everything on and off the field, and I can say we are better off because of these seniors."