The Permian boys soccer team couldn’t finish its chances Tuesday.

In the Panthers’ District 2-6A game against Midland High at Ratliff Stadium, they had a majority of the scoring chances through constant possession and pressure in the Bulldogs’ half of the field.

Permian couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net, however, and Midland High capitalized on its one true scoring chance in the game.

Fernando Quintero scored the games’ lone goal in the 51st minute to hand Midland High a 1-0 victory over Permian.

“I think it was just a tough, tough loss,” Permian head coach Luis Carmona said. “I think the guys played well, I think we played good enough to win. It’s just one of them games where you give a good team a chance to score and they put it away and that could be the difference, and that’s what Midland High did.”

Carmona stressed to his team before the game started to keep Midland High’s chances to a minimum, as it wouldn’t need that many to score.

Permian (9-9-1 overall, 2-3-1-0 district, eight points) only allowed the Bulldogs two or three spells of continued possession around its net.

Midland High (9-5-2, 3-0-2-1, 14 points) only needed that Quintero opportunity to earn all three points, while Permian had several chances that didn’t pan out.

“We dominated the game, I would say, all of it, until the last couple minutes where we kind of lost ourselves,” Permian midfielder AJ Salcido said. “It happens; everyone’s got to lose at one point. All we can do is improve really. Unfortunately there are games like that.”

Permian started the game with a ton of intensity, nearly getting the contest’s first goal before the game was 15 minutes old.

Midland High’s strategy was clear, however. The Bulldogs stayed back and defended as best they could and capitalized with as many players as possible when Permian was pushed up the field.

“I think we had three or four really good looks, wide-open looks,” Carmona said. “We’ve got to learn. If we want to win, if we want to get to where we want to be, we have to get points whenever we can. Unfortunately tonight, we couldn’t get any.”

Carmona didn’t take anything away from the efforts of Midland High as the Bulldogs still have yet to lose a regulation game in district play. The last time Midland High didn’t pick up at least two points in a game was its district opener against Permian, where the Panthers won in penalties.

“We’ve just got to finish our chances,” Salcido said. “We played great in the back, good in the midfield and it was the final third that really got us. Obviously we didn’t put enough goals in at all.”

Permian returns to action at 7:30 p.m. Friday when it faces Wolfforth Frenship on the turf fields at Ratliff.

Carmona was clear on what his team would need to work on most over the next two days.

“Just because we possess the ball well and get good looks, you don’t get points for that,” Carmona said. “Obviously we got to work on that last third of the attacking field and I think we’re okay.

“We’ve proven before that we can score goals. Right now, I’d be worried if we weren’t creating but we’re creating right now. The hard part is just getting that first one.”

District 2-6A Standings

BOYS

District Standings

(Overall records in parentheses)

                                     W      L   SW    SL   Pts

Midland High (9-5-2)… 3      0      2      1    14

Midland Lee (12-6-1).. 4      1      0      1    13

Frenship (18-2-0)……… 4      2      0      0    12

Permian (9-9-1)……….. 2      3      1      0      8

Odessa High (10-10-1) 2      3      0      1      7

Tascosa (1-16-2)…….. 0      6      0      0      0

Standings note: Regulation wins (W) worth three points; shootout wins (SW) worth two points); shootout losses (SL) worth one point;

regulation losses (L) worth zero points.

d-Clinched District 2-6A title

x-Clinched playoff berth

———

March 6

Midland High 1, Permian 0

Wolfforth Frenship 2, Odessa High 1

Midland Lee 4, Amarillo Tascosa 0

March 9

Wolfforth Frenship at Permian, 7:30 p.m.

Midland Lee at Midland High, 7:30 p.m.

March 10

Odessa High at Amarillo Tascosa, 2 p.m.