West Texas FC 2-2 McKinney Chupacabras

West Texas FC 2-2 McKinney Chupacabras

Chupacabras Remain Unbeaten After 2-2 Draw at West Texas

McKinney Chupacabras FC’s perfect start came to an end Saturday night, but remained unbeaten after drawing 2-2 against West Texas FC at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland.

McKinney (4-0-1) held a 2-1 lead late in the second half after a penalty kick goal from Jordan Jones, but West Texas found an 85th-minute equalizer to earn a point in a physical Ranger Division matchup that featured seven yellow cards and one red card.

The two sides were evenly matched early, trading counterattacks through the opening minutes. West Texas created the first dangerous opportunity with a cross into the box before McKinney answered in the eighth minute with a counterattack that narrowly missed connecting in front of goal.

The hosts broke through in the 18th minute when Diego Robles got behind the McKinney back line and chipped the ball over goalkeeper Nathan Kinser. Justin Madejski delivered the through ball to send Robles in behind, and the forward recorded his fourth goal of the season.

McKinney responded in the 25th minute. Midfielder Carson Burden scored his first goal of the season, curling a shot past goalkeeper Tomas Butkovic to level the match at 1-1.

The remainder of the first half featured chances at both ends. Kinser made a diving save on Akaki Gvineria in the 30th minute before denying Liam Kervick two minutes later after a give-and-go sequence with Robles.

The Chupacabras’ defense was tested repeatedly throughout the half as West Texas found success getting behind the back line. In the 43rd minute, defender Spencer Sarkissian stepped in front of a West Texas attacker to prevent what appeared to be a clear go-ahead chance. Moments later, Gvineria headed a corner kick off the post as the hosts narrowly missed reclaiming the lead.

The physical nature of the match became more evident as the game progressed. The referee allowed contact on both sides, leading to several hard challenges and heated moments. Milton Lopez picked up a yellow card in the 41st minute as frustrations began to build.

After halftime, McKinney found the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute. Aiden Ussery was fouled inside the penalty area, setting up a penalty kick opportunity for midfielder Jordan Jones. The Frisco native calmly buried his attempt into the left side of the net for his first goal of the season, giving the Chupacabras a 2-1 advantage.

West Texas continued to press for an equalizer, and Kinser was called upon several times to preserve the lead. Defender Dylan Culbertson cleared a dangerous ball out of the box in the 85th minute, but the ensuing corner kick proved costly. Defender Ben Buckley rose above the defense and headed the ball into the back of the net to tie the match at 2-2. The Irishman scored his first goal of the season.

The closing minutes were intense, with five cards issued from the 80th minute through second-half stoppage time. Evan Lupo and Ty Reynolds were shown yellow cards for McKinney, while Rhys Fuller, Ian Silva, and Archie Wisdom each received cautions for West Texas. Gvineria, who had been substituted off, was shown a red card in the 88th minute after a skirmish with Reynolds near the bench area.

Despite dropping points for the first time this season, McKinney extended its unbeaten start to five matches.

The Chupacabras return to action at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when they travel to face Fort Worth Vaqueros FC for the second time this season. McKinney won the first meeting 1-0 on May 30 at Ron Poe Stadium.

Words by Grayson Pitts.

Edited by Elliott Stockdale.