Nine-man Bull’s fightback

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NINE-MAN Black Bull had heroes all over the field as they staged an unlikely comeback to snatch what could prove to be a vital point from this incident-packed Division 1 top-of-the-table clash in Navan on Friday night.

First blood almost went to Johnstown as Vinny Murphy sent a shot crashing back off the crossbar, but it was the Bull who eventually struck as a great move involving Martin Fitzpatrick and Tomàs Hodgins ended with Evan Corlett squaring to Barry Reynolds for a close-range finish.

The home team had chances to equalise, while the Drogheda men thought they’d extended their lead just before half-time, only for a Johnstown defender to make a spectacular goal-line clearance to deny Luke McDonnell.

Black Bull took that slender 1-0 lead into the interval, but the game seemed to be turned on its head in the early stages of the second half, starting in the 54th minute when a Kacper Zeberek 25-yard free kick took a wicked deflection off the defensive wall and nestled in the Black Bull net, with keeper Alan Sweeney rooted to the spot.

Barely 60 seconds later Johnstown were in front as the Black Bull defence stood off the advancing Arnold Loco, allowing the forward sufficient space to fire a diagonal shot past Sweeney.

Now trailing 2-1, worse was to follow for Black Bull as they twice incurred the wrath of the match referee. First, in the 55th minute, the ball took a ricochet off a Johnstown player onto the arm of Mark Malocca. Deliberate hand-ball in the opinion of the official, and with Malocca already on a yellow card he was cautioned for a second time and sent off.

Then, with manager Pat Mohan still reorganising his team, Niall Levins threw his body in the way of a goal-bound shot, intending to block it on the line with his head. Black Bull felt the ball struck the defender on the top of his shoulder, but the referee adjudged an arm was used, sent off Levins and awarded a penalty kick.

Justice was done in Black Bull’s view, however, when Pierce Challenger’s spot kick was brilliantly saved by Sweeney - and still there was more drama to come.

Nine-man Black Bull forced a corner five minutes later and from the delivery the ball sat up nicely for skipper McDonnell who netted the equaliser with an overhead effort.

Understandably, with two extra players, Johnstown dominated the remaining half-hour but rarely troubled the Black Bull goal and the Drogheda’s side greater fitness showed in the latter stages as they forced two chances to grab what would have been an amazing win.

Corlett fired a good opportunity over the bar, and substitute Helder Goncalves then put through Reynolds who shouted in vain for a penalty kick after claiming he was pushed as he tried to turn in the box. •Black Bull’s second team overcame their Newfoundwell counterparts 2-0 thanks to goals from Niall Black and Helder Goncalves to regain top spot in the Premier Reserve division.