By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
Yukon had designs on a Bedlam on the Pitch victory and taking a perfect record into Spring Break.
Mustang had designs on ending that streak.
The Broncos scored a pair of second half goals and handed the Millers’ their first loss of the season, 2-0, Tuesday night at Miller Stadium.
The Millers had opened the season with wins over Norman North and Norman as well as Moore, but couldn’t get anything going against the Broncos in their annual rivalry match.
“We were very poor first half, we were lucky to be 0-0 at halftime,” Miller head coach Neil Hilton said. “But, we defended well like we have done for the first three games.
“Eventually, the way we were giving the ball away, we were going to get punished,” he said. “The plan at halftime was to fix it, but we didn’t wake up until they scored. That was the bottom line, we didn’t wake up until they scored.”
The Millers did keep Mustang out of the net in the first half and keeper Kaden Allen made some big saves. He came on as Mustang’s Isaias Silva made a run and slid to grab the ball in front of the Silva, and he had to leap over Allen to avoid a collision.
Allen also had two saves in the first half. Mustang also had a shot carom off the cross bar.
The Millers did have a few chances in the first half, but most ended up straight at the Bronco goal keeper, who easily made the saves.
Mustang took the lead in the 64th minute of the match when Silva beat his defender and sent a shot to the top corner of the net, just out of the reach of a leaping Allen. Silva had taken a pass from Kory Soulinthavong that set up the score.
The Millers did have a chance to tie the match when Mustang was called for a foul just outside the goal box. Colton Humphreys took the free kick from the 19-yard line, but his hard, right-footed boot was stopped by the Mustang keeper.
The Broncos put the match away in the closing minutes of the match. Drew Boulware made a crossing pass to Colby Allen who beat Yukon’s Allen with the shot.
“We didn’t play well tonight at all,” Hilton said. “And, Mustang is a good team, they were quicker than us and more hungrier than us and they showed.
“I’m not faulting our guys effort, but we were not good enough with the ball,” he said. “If you are that poor with the ball, you are going to lose games. We have to be better with the ball.”
The Millers have this coming week off with Spring Break and returns to the pitch on March 27, opening the district 6A-1 season hosting Choctaw. The Millers turn around two days later and host Putnam City North., Both matches will kickoff at 8 p.m.
“I hope this defeat doesn’t derail what we have done the first four games,” Hilton said. ;If you would have offered to be 3-1 record after these four games, we would have taken it.
“I just hope this loss doesn’t come at the wrong end of the four,” he added. “It has been a good preseason and hopefully we can take that in district schedule.”
