Redbirds Fall at Home to the Kahoks

GODFREY — Playing out of position in soccer can be similar to knocking over a row of dominoes. No matter where it starts, it’ll likely end poorly. Just ask Alton coach Nick Funk, who saw his team drop a 1-0 Southwestern Conference decision to Collinsville Tuesday at Alton High.

“Midfield played hard, but it was spotty,” Funk said. “There were gaps and that can affect what happens everywhere else.”

Including up top, where the Redbirds were afforded plenty of scoring opportunities, but were just a tad off on them.

Alton outshot the Kahoks 9-7.

“We outshot them, but we just didn’t finish,” said Funk, whose team dropped to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference. “We had a ton of chances.”

Collinsville broke a two-game skid with the victory and ran its record to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in the SWC. The Kahoks came into the game on the heels of a 4-1 loss to Webster Groves following a 3-1 loss at O’Fallon.

The game was played in sweltering heat and the teams were given water breaks midway through each half.

The Kahoks got the only goal of the game in the 17th minute when Ryan Null outraced Alton goalie Owen Macias and zeroed in on a pass from teammate Anthony Coppotelli. Null’s shot slipped under Macias from the left side of the penalty from about 10 yards.

The Redbirds plethora of scoring opportunities included a golden one with 13:20 left in the second half. Alton’s Evan Dugger got the ball around Kahoks goalie Logan Rader, but it was cleared away by the Collinsville defense.

And with 18 seconds left, Rader and Alton’s Brayden Decker converged on the ball at the top of the penalty area. Rader, thinking he was possibly outside the area, slid to a sitting position and stabbed at the ball as it bounced over him. But the Collinsville defense again was behind him to clear it.

The Kahoks had a pair of late chances to add an insurance goal.

With 11 minutes remaining, Coppotelli had in mind to give the Kahoks a 2-0 lead when he fired a long-range shot. But Macias came up with the save to keep the Redbirds within range. And with 5:25 left, Tag Baker and Maximus Lawrence combined on a give-and-go down the field that finished with a blast by Baker that was saved by Macias.

The Redbirds will play host to Highland Thursday in a 5 p.m. non-conference game. They’ll be back in SWC action Set. 19 at Belleville East and Sept. 19 at rival Edwardsville.

“We had as many chances the other night against East and we finished them,” Funk said. “The effort was obviously there, but we need to finish the chances.”