Warren Central’s defensive plan and execution was sound. Even the elements and the field helped give it an edge.

One lapse and a lack of offensive punch, however, was all it took to undo all of it and end the Lady Vikes’ season.

Sydney Hughes converted a turnover in the offensive end into the game’s only goal in the 25th minute, and Tupelo escaped with a 1-0 win over Warren Central in the first round of the MHSAA Class 6A soccer playoffs on Tuesday.

“They gave everything they had. We talked about how we can compete with any team in the state, and they came back with an attitude that they can play with them,” Warren Central coach Greg Head said. “We ran three different formations and all of it worked. They had two girls that were fast up top and we had one mistake that cost us a goal.”

Tupelo (8-6-2) advanced to the second round to play Madison Central, which beat Southaven 3-0 on Monday.

The loss was Warren Central’s (10-6-2) third in four games this month against other Class 6A playoff teams. It was, however, a marked improvement over a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Tupelo on Jan. 11 and hopefully provided a springboard into next season.

The Lady Vikes also won the Region 4-6A championship for the first time in more than a decade.

“We got a lot more confidence and grew a lot closer. Coach Head has helped us a lot and pushed us to be better,” junior defender Maddie Watkins said. “We’re going to work in the offseason and build with each other and work out. Beating Clinton (for the region title) was very exciting and made us feel like we can be up there with the top teams, too. It was an exciting year. I’m sad to see my seniors leave.”

The difference in the first meeting between Warren Central and Tupelo and Monday’s playoff game was WC’s defense. Tupelo took 11 shots in the first half, and 19 in the game, but few were of high quality. Warren Central goal keeper Layken Stockstill made a dozen saves, only two or three of which required her to dive or jump to knock the ball away.

Head said the defensive strategy was to limit Tupelo’s close-in scoring chances and challenge its shooters. Tupelo coach Diane Rulewicz said those tactics, as well as the smaller natural grass field of Viking Stadium, threw her team off its game.

“I think the biggest thing is we’re used to playing on turf, and the field that we played on was a much bigger field. So to go to grass and a smaller field, our girl that plays up top is fast but she didn’t have the room to run like she normally does. I think that had a big impact on it,” Rulewicz said. “But they certainly played much better tonight than they did the other night. They were challenging us on the 50-50 balls and fighting us to win those balls. We couldn’t get control of the ball and then play the man.”

Warren Central’s defense did, however, slip up once.

In the 25th minute, Hughes gained control of a clearing pass deep in the offensive end and beat her defender for a breakaway chance. She got the ball past Stockstill for the game’s first — and, as it turned out, only — goal.

“With the formation we were running, we knew they would probably get more shots and that was OK,” Head said. “The shots were taken real far out, which is what we wanted to do. Layken didn’t have much of a problem. It was that breakaway that killed us.”

Hughes’ goal stood up, in large part, because the Lady Vikes were unable to mount any offense of their own. Their first shot didn’t come until the 78th minute, when Madelyn Polk was rushed on a breakaway down the right wing and sent the ball well wide.

The best scoring chance might have been in the 59th minute. Aryn Greer bombed a free kick from 40 yards out into the box. Tupelo keeper Anna Wesleigh Driskell collided with a Warren Central player as they both went for the ball, which deflected away and went harmlessly out of bounds.

The Lady Vikes switched formations and added an extra attacker for the last 12 minutes, but couldn’t do more than put some mild pressure on the defense. Polk’s shot in the 78th minute turned out to be their only one of the game.

“We got the ball down here. We just couldn’t make the plays to get the ball past them. It seemed like we’d lose the ball,” Head said. “I was telling our forwards you have to hold the ball long enough for us to get down there. They were wanting to do it all themselves. Toward the end we put in an extra attacker and that was working, Maybe we should have gone to it a little bit sooner. I went to it probably a little bit late.”