The Switchbacks missed on several early scoring chances and blew an opportunity to move atop the Western Conference with a 1-0 home loss to Tulsa on Wednesday night.

“We did not move well away from the ball and we weren’t ruthless enough in front,” Colorado Springs coach Steve Trittschuh said after his team’s first home loss since April 4. “We had our chances to put them away. We get one goal and we force them to attack and we would have shredded them (on the counterattack).”

Instead it was Tulsa (9-9-4) that went ahead early in the second half. The third-place Switchbacks (11-7-2) are 0-6 when falling behind 1-0 in their inaugural United Soccer League season.

One defensive breakdown turned it in Tulsa’s favor.

Colorado Springs lost track of Tulsa forward Sammy Ochoa, who collected a pass from Oscar Jimenez and broke free behind the Switchbacks defense. He fired a low shot past Switchback goalkeeper Devala Gorrick as the goalie charged out for the only score in the 47th minute.

Then Tulsa packed 10 players back into its zone to close off passing lanes and force the Switchbacks to lift passes over the top.

“We tried to force things up the middle instead of working the ball outside,” Trittschuh said. “They came in looking to clog things up. I was disappointed in our substitutes. They did not make an impact except Chandler (Hoiffman). We did not play well.”

“It wasn’t a pretty victory but we will take any points we can get here,” Tulsa coach David Irving said. “This is a very tough division (conference). We defended well and once we got that goal we knew we could pack it in and get at least a point (tie).”

Instead, the Roughnecks swept the season series (3-1, 1-0) and moved into sixth place in the Western Conference. The Switchbacks were left thinking about their next game; a road contest at fifth-place Sacramento on Saturday.

“We have to learn from this,” forward Miguel Gonzalez said.

Colorado Springs generated several quality scoring chances in the first half but was unable to find the net due to some stellar stops by Jake Feener (six saves) and a little luck.

Feener made a diving save on a hard low shot by Switchbacks leading scorer Luke Vercollone in the 34th minute. Two minutes later, Gonzalez connected on a header that bounced off a defender.

Feener made five saves under duress in the first half but only had to make one in the second.