The Chuckey-Doak soccer team could not capitalize on the chances it created in the first half on Tuesday night and fell to Unicoi County 2-1.
“The first half was alright, but in the second half we gave up too much,” Chuckey-Doak coach Steven Neese said. “Tonight (Unicoi County) came out ahead and we’ll get them next time. Overall, it was a good, clean fight where maybe we could have done a little better in certain places. I liked the seeing the fight to the end, it was just some of the finishing wasn’t on point.”
Chuckey-Doak is now 0-2-2 on the season and still looking for its first win under Neesen in his first season leading the Knights.
The Black Knights controlled possession for much of the first 40 minutes and sent 13 shots at the goal, but they were only able to connect on one of them.
Unicoi County jumped on top quickly because of a Black Knights’ defensive lapse. In the third minute Nehemiah Campbell intercepted a Chuckey-Doak goal kick and found the backline behind him for a one-on-one opportunity in front of the net that turned into a quick 1-0 lead.
Chuckey-Doak was able to even things at 1-1 in the eighth minute. Jesus Rojas broke free from the defense up the middle and sent a pass ahead to Ryland Grindstaff on the left side of the 18-yard box. Grindstaff made quick work of his defender and fired a shot from 10 yards into the upper right corner of the frame.
Over the next 32 minutes the game was largely played in front of the Black Knights’ goal, but they could not find the go-ahead shot. Backline players Sean Humbert, Edward Cedillo and Benji Merrill kept the ball from the Blue Devils while Rojas and Pablo Dimas stayed in control of the midfield.
In the 19th minute Grindstaff got another good look on a cross from Jose Thompson but the attempt sailed right of the frame.
Rojas took a few swings at the net, but Unicoi keeper Zeke Campbell stopped each of them. In the 28th minute Humbert put his head on a corner kick from Brayden Collins, but he could not beat the keeper.
In the final two minutes of the first half Pablo Dimas attempted to score on a pair of corner kicks, but to no avail.
In the second half the Blue Devils turned up the attack and needed just five minutes to regain the lead. On a corner kick Victor Luquin knocked the ball home with his head for a 2-1 advantage.
Unicoi controlled the ball for much of the remainder of the second half, and it was hard for Chuckey-Doak to find a tying opportunity.
In the closing minutes fouls on the Devils gave Chuckey-Doak a handful of dangerous free kicks, but none of the found the back of the net.
In the 66th minute Collins’ took a free kick from 20 yards and left of the box that flew long. In the 74th minute Dimas sent in a corner kick to Rojas, but his header was just wide of the post.
Chuckey-Doak got two corner kicks in the 77th minute, but neither ended in a shot attempt. The Knights best look came in the 78th minute when Grindstaff sent in a free kick from left of the box , but Dimas could not get the right touch on the ball in front of the frame.
With 40 seconds left Rojas had one last chance on a free kick from the edge of the 18-yard box, but Campbell stepped in front of it to preserve Unicoi’s win.
