PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Pikeville held off a late Tennessee Wesleyan rally to secure a 3-2 victory on Friday, October 31st. The hosts built a two-goal cushion by halftime before the visitors mounted a second-half comeback that fell just short.
Charlie Wood gave Tennessee Wesleyan an early advantage in the 26th minute, assisted by David Tayau. The lead lasted just over ten minutes before Jakub Rus equalized for Pikeville in the 36th minute off a feed from Oliver Fausel. Bruno Arenal then put the hosts ahead 2-1 in the 44th minute with help from Samuel Cristancho, giving Pikeville momentum heading into the break.
Sam Allison extended Pikeville's lead to 3-1 in the 76th minute, assisted by Arenal, seemingly putting the match out of reach. Tennessee Wesleyan refused to surrender, however, as Nicko Bellot converted a penalty kick in the 82nd minute to make it 3-2. The visitors pressed for an equalizer in the final minutes but could not find the back of the net.
Pikeville dominated possession and created numerous scoring opportunities throughout the contest. Bruno Arenal was instrumental for the hosts, recording multiple shots and providing two assists. Astolfi Ange made several crucial saves for Tennessee Wesleyan to keep his team competitive despite trailing for much of the second half.
The match featured physical play, with Nicko Bellot receiving a yellow card in the 65th minute and Bruno Arenal earning one in