Sikeston’s comeback bid falls short in 3-2 loss to state-ranked Farmington

SIKESTON, Mo. — Despite putting forth the season's best performance, Sikeston fell 3-2 to Farmington at Bill Lawson Memorial Field.

“Last night was the most complete game we’ve put together all year,” said Sikeston coach Gabe Dement. “Our keeper’s saves and defense’s huge plays kept us in a situation for the first 60 minutes that allowed a potential comeback on the attacking end to be possible.”

Farmington (10-2-0) raced out to a 2-0 lead, but Sikeston (7-10-0) showed great resilience to equalize in the second half. Tristan Wiggins provided a pinpoint assist for PJ Farmer’s goal, before Jaden Johnson set up Will Sims for the equalizer. It was a thrilling comeback from Sikeston, but they were ultimately unable to complete the turnaround as the

“Once we got that from [Farmer], we started to gain momentum,” Dement said. “Mere minutes later, Sims was able to score with his weak foot and send the home crowd into a frenzy. The biggest challenge Farmington presented was how well-organized they are and how much team speed they have. We had to stay disciplined on defense in order to quell their opportunities as much as we could. Our biggest positive takeaway is proving we can compete with one of the top sides in the state in Class 3.”

Sikeston goalkeeper Barrett Stokes made 10 saves, while the Bulldogs’ defense had eight blocked shots.

“Our defense kept the game in striking distance and our offense woke up late,” Dement concluded. “Farmington was able to finish a late goal to take the win.”

Sikeston travels to Festus (2-12-0) on Tuesday, October 10, and to Notre Dame (9-8) on Monday, October 16.