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10-Man Greens Score Late, Steal Point in Black Gold Derby

By Tyler Vaughn, 09/12/20, 9:15PM CDT

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Despite going down a man while down a goal, Energy FC battled back and equalized in the 90th minute through Omar Gordon Saturday night at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Okla.

FC Tulsa created the majority of the chances in the first half with Marlon Santos the first to test CJ Cochran in the fifth minute. His blast from a tight angle was well struck, but Cochran was able to get a hand to it and make the fingertip save.

Tulsa forward Ariel Martinez came inches from scoring when he rattled the crossbar from six yards outs in the 20th minute after getting on the end of Rodrigo da Costa’s inswinging cross.

The hosts put one in the back of the net a minute later after a rebound off the post fell to Callum Chapman-Page’s feet, but the linesman raised his flag for offside.

The Greens slowly grew into the match, and Atiba Harris nearly made the breakthrough off a corner from Rafael Garcia in the 35th minute. The captain’s downward header was goalbound, but Tulsa keeper Sean Lewis did well to reach it and tip the ball past the post.

After an uneventful start to the second half, Tulsa took the lead in the 73rd minute when a blocked shot redirected to Dario Suarez. The striker was able to collect and fire low and to the far post, beating Cochran and deflecting off a sliding Christian Ibeagha into the back of the net.

The Greens were reduced to 10 men in the 77th minute after Jose Hernandez received his second yellow card of the match, but the squad wasn’t done fighting.

Second-half substitute Omar Gordon came in clutch, rising highest off a Garcia corner kick to nod the ball off Lewis and across the line in the 90th minute to grab a point for Energy FC.

Energy FC is now on nine points and remains in fourth place in Group D.

Next up for the Greens is a trip take on first place San Antonio FC on Saturday, September 19 at 8 p.m. CT.

The last home match of the season is Sunday, September 27 at 5 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

Scoring Summary:

TUL: Suarez, 73’

OKC: Gordon (Garcia), 90’

Disciplinary Summary:

OKC: Chavez, Yellow Card, 35’

TUL: Santos, Yellow Card, 56’

OKC: Hernandez, Yellow Card, 71’

OKC: Hernandez, Yellow Card (Red), 77’

TUL: Moloto, Yellow Card 81’

OKC: Ibeagha, Yellow Card, 90+5’

OKC Starting XI: GK: CJ Cochran; D: Atiba Harris (c), Christian Ibeagha, Nico Taravel, Joe Amico (Omar Gordon, 77’); M: Rafael Garcia Jose Hernandez, Arun Basuljevic F: Tucker Stephenson, Jaime Chavez, Cordell Cato (Jonathan Brown, 46’)

Subs Not Used: Cody Laurendi, Brad Dunwell, Ray Saari, Mike da Fonte

TUL Starting XI: GK: Sean Lewis; D: Matt Sheldon, Kevin Garcia, Bradley Bourgeois, Callum Chapman-Page; M: Eric Bird, Rodrigo da Costa, Ariel Martinez (c), Marlon Santos (Raphael Ayagwa, 86’), Lebo Moloto (Cyprian Hedrick, 90’); F: Dario Suarez

Subs Not Used: Bryan Byars, Vangjel Zguro, Cristhian Altamirano, Mfon Udoh, Fabian Bastidas