A Christopher Rogers strike deep into the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time denied FC Isle of Man victory, as the Ravens were forced to settle for a dramatic 2-2 draw against Abbey Hey at The Bowl.
The result was made even more frustrating when captain Alex Maitland was shown a straight red card in the chaotic aftermath of the late equaliser.
On a night when Rick Holden’s side were chasing a third consecutive league win and aiming to extend their unbeaten run to four games, it looked like Shaun Kelly’s 66th-minute tap-in would be enough to secure the points.
However, a resilient Abbey Hey outfit—arriving on the island just six points above the relegation zone—found a way back in the dying embers to snatch a share of the spoils.
After a cagey opening 20 minutes, it was Jacob Crook who drew first blood, running onto a pinpoint long ball from Kyle Watson which perfectly realised him in behind the Abbey Hey defence.
Racing clean through on goal, Crook kept his composure to slot a low finish into the bottom corner past goalkeeper Connor Beard.
The joy was short-lived, however as just three minutes later, the visitors hit back.
Jamal Crawford drifted in from the left flank and carved the Ravens open with an inch-perfect through ball, with Dillon Edmundson managing to poke a low strike under Adam Killey to level the score at 1-1.
Second Half
The second period followed a similar pattern to the first, with two with the sides cancelling each other out in a tight midfield battle.
But on 66 minutes, a moment of spontaneous brilliance put the Ravens back in front.
Kelly, positioned with his back to goal some 25 yards out, played an intelligent first-time ball out wide to substitute Adam Adebiyi.
He drove forward and swept a low cross back into the box where Kelly had continued his run and arrived unmarked ten yards out to tap home and restore the lead.
As the game entered added time, Abbey Hey threw bodies forward in search of a vital equaliser.
With no clear indication from the officials of how long was left, a fierce 20-yard strike from Moses Yoak was well stopped by Killey, the ball fell kindly to Crawford, who squared it across the edge of the penalty area where Rogers was waiting.
His powerful strike looked to have taken a deflection off a sea of bodies before nestling into the back of the net to make it 2-2.
The goal sparked heated scenes at the final whistle, with several home players protesting the nature of the goal given Ste Whitley was down injured in box.
In the ensuing discussions, captain Alex Maitland was shown a straight red card by referee Jacob Widdowson, adding a further layer of frustration.
The draw extends FC Isle of Man’s unbeaten run to five games.
The Ravens are back at The Bowl next Saturday for the visit of Atherton LR.
