PRESTON - Tony Razo's goal in the 38th minute was important in that it gave Pocatello a 2-1 lead and was huge boost just before halftime, but the damage to Preston was much more far reaching.

After losing the possession and dangerous scoring opportunity battles for most the first half, the visiting Indians seized momentum for good after Razo's goal and never looked back.

Pocatello's boys' soccer team scored two more goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half to cruise to a pivotal 4-1 win over Preston on Friday afternoon in 4A Fifth District play.

"I think it was absolutely fair because Preston in the first half was just beating us to absolutely every ball," Poky coach Adam Farsi said. "It seemed like they wanted to win more than we did and I think it was pretty evident from the sidelines, so I think that goal did take the wind out of their sails."

Preston got behind Pocatello's backline on a handful of occasions in the first half, but it was the visitors who made the most of their opportunities.

Daniel Razo gave the Gate City Indians a 1-0 lead 14 minutes into the match when Daniel Razo found himself unmarked on a Scott Lyons corner kick. Razo calmly slotted the resulting 6-yard shot past Preston goalkeeper Brad Beckstead.

It was the kind of defensive miscue Preston coach Brandon Lyon knew his side could ill afford to make.

"We've played two district games this week and have given up eight goals, and I told the boys afterwards that those were eight goals at the beginning of the year we weren't giving up, and it happened because of mental mistakes that we just can't make," a frustrated Lyon said.

The hosts did bounce back, though, on a Brachen Smith goal in the 20th minute. Stefan Naylor earned a free kick from 25 yards out and sent a dipping ball at keeper Taylor West, who failed to secure it. Smith was there to punch the loose ball in.

The Franklin County Indians had a few more dangerous opportunities in the opening half but couldn't capitalize. Jamen Gunnell, in particular, did a good job putting pressure on Poky's backline from the left wing. On one of his chances, Gunnell fired a shot under pressure over the crossbar when he had an open net to work with.

Smith nearly scored a second goal later in the half, but his shot went right to West after getting behind the Poky defense on a perfect through ball from Aaron Dryden.

However, the Indians were rarely able to get Gunnell involved in the attack after halftime, and that spelled doomed. Preston was more direct offensively, and that played to Pocatello's strengths defensively, Lyon said.

"We got out of our game a little bit offensively midway through the second half," Lyon said. "I mean, we were having great success working outside of their fullbacks and penetrating there, and midway through the second half, we started trying to dump the ball up and it wasn't working."

Pocatello picked up its game offensively after the break, and it paid off in the 49th and 55th minutes.

Lyons got behind Preston's defense to make it 3-1, and then Tony Razo scored his second goal of the match on an unsavable penalty kick six minutes later. The hosts were called for a handball inside the 18-yard box.

"(I was) much more pleased in the second half," Farsi said. "In the first half we had maybe three shots on goal, I don't know, but it wasn't very many. But I thought we moved the ball a little bit better and, of course, having Tony Razo up there really helps. He's really fast and a great finisher."