Photo by Tyler Bennett Parkersburg’s Logan Henthorn (14) looks to score as teammate Brendan Whitlatch (23) backs him up during Tuesday’s soccer match against Morgantown at Stadium Field.

PARKERSBURG — On the attack for most of the first half and taking a 0-0 score into halftime, the Big Reds came out flat at the start of the second half and were doomed because of it. They struggled to find the ball after Morgantown’s James Percifield’s blast that ricocheted off the right corner post.

Morgantown’s Aiden Pfeifer bounced on the loose ball to give the Mohigans the lead in the 50th minute and a late goal by Bernardo Pereira off an assist from Azian Uqaily in the 76th minute put the game out of reach.

Morgantown defeated Parkersburg 2-0 during the Big Reds’ senior night on Tuesday at Stadium Field.

“I am so proud of our kids. That was a very good team we played against and we had them 0-0 at halftime and then they got one,” Big Reds head coach Don Fosselman said. “It was the strangest goal, it was like a delay. Three people just watch the ball. And then they just came and buried on it.”

Parkersburg (9-7-2) went on the attack as soon as the opening whistle blew, as sophomore Terrance Wright’s shot on goal went over the crossbar for a goal kick in the 5th minute.

Morgantown (13-4-1) then went on the attack in the 7th minute, working the ball down the left flanks.

Morgantown’s forward Zane Uqaily and Big Red defender Wright battled down the sidelines for the ball that ended with Morgantown being awarded a corner kick.

Taking the corner kick from the left flag post, Caden Carpenter whipped a cross into the box that found Braxton Johnson for a header that had too much on it and went out of play for a Big Red goal kick.

Keeping Parkersburg out the net on two corners and shots in back-to-back attempts, Morgantown’s starting goalkeeper Carter Cave had to be subbed out for the remainder of the first half after Ashton Farnsworth ran into the keeper to make a play for the ball in the 10th minute. Benjamin Meyer came in for relief for Cave and was quickly put to work by the Big Reds.

Getting fouled the play prior near the Big Reds’ own box, senior Brendan Whitlatch sent a long ball off a free kick that bounced right at Farnsworth’s feet.

Getting the ball outside of the right corner of the box and an open look at goal, Farnsworth fired a shot toward the left post only for Meyer to make the acrobatic save to keep the game tied in the 17th minute.

Getting awarded another free-kick by the officials in the 8th minute, Whitlatch once again found Farnsworth in the box for a header for a goal, but Farnsworth did not time his run and was called offsides by the sideline official.

Unlike the first half, the Big Reds didn’t have many opportunities at goal in the second, recording only two shots on goal.

Junior Caleb Thomas had nine saves in between the sticks for PHS.

“We were playing really well even though we didn’t win this game tonight, but we had some chances. We had some nice chances in the first half,” Fosselman said. “We are this close and I keep telling them every week, we can make some noise in the playoffs. I think we really can if we can stay healthy.”

Contact Tyler Bennett @tbennett@newsandsentinel.com