LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — RICHMOND—After disposing of one set of Lady Indians on Saturday, the South Laurel Lady Cardinals had a chance to take down another Monday, but Madison Central had other plans.

The Lady Indians (4-0) used a physical style of play to hand the Lady Cardinals (2-4-1) a 4-2 set back. This comes after South Laurel beat Montgomery County, 3-0.

“Madison Central was more physical than we were,” assistant coach Roger Parker said. Parker was filling in for head coach Todd White, who also missed the Montgomery County game due to illness. “They challenged every ball. We don’t like to play physical, but we’d better learn how.”

South Laurel gave Madison Central too much room, especially around the 18, which the Lady Indians exploited time and time again. It took the home team only 10 minutes to score when Emily Willoughby sent a cross in from the left side that Maryssa Stewart directed past keeper Charity Humfleet for the 1-0 lead.

South Laurel had a couple of chances in the half but failed to finish on either. In the 9th minute, Meredith McCowan sent a nice through ball to Karli Parker, who got past the defense but sent her shot wide across the front of the goal. In the 22nd minute, it was Parker’s turn with a through ball to Kristen White, but her shot was saved by keeper Samantha Shepherd.

The half ended with the Lady Indians up, 1-0.

South again had two nice chances at the start of the second half, in the 44th and 48th minutes, both by Parker, but she sent one into the side netting and the other high and wide.

“We had two or three breakaway chances,” Parker said. “If we can’t convert we won’t win.”

The lead grew to 2-0 in the 50th minute when Willoughby beat Humfleet to the near post. Three minutes later, Leeanne Ogle found herself open in front of the South goal after a defensive mistake and blasted the ball into the goal. Then in the 66th minute, Taylor Sterling’s goal gave Madison Central a 4-0 advantage. She would hit the post in the 70th minute.

The Lady Cards finally got on the board in the 71st minute when Parker was pushed in the box and awarded a penalty kick. Parker took the shot, but it was saved by Shepherd. The Central keeper couldn’t hold onto the ball, and Parker beat her to the rebound and slotted the ball past Shepherd at the near post. With 0.8 seconds left Mariah House’s shot hit the underside of the crossbar then bounced down over the line to make the final 4-2.

“If we continue not to check back to the ball and be physical this is what is going to happen,” Parker said. We gotta play 80 minutes. If we show up like this Thursday (against Corbin) we might not like what we see. Corbin is hungry for us. It’s time for a gut check. We are going to have to step it up, every player.”

On Saturday, the Lady Cardinals traveled to Montgomery County and handed the Lady Indians a 3-0 loss.

“We played really well,” Parker said. “We possessed the ball and moved it well.”

Parker, House and White all scored for the Lady Cards off assists from Holly Smith, Parker and White.

South Laurel will host Corbin Thursday then travel to North Laurel for a 10 a.m. match on Saturday.

sports@sentinel-echo.com