TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa Roughnecks FC Coach David Irving praised his players, and the club’s supporters, after his side rallied from an early two-goal deficit on Friday night to take a 2-2 draw with the LA Galaxy II in the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3 at ONEOK Field.

“Our fans are unbelievable, they stick with us and we are trying to fix it,” Irving said. “It was a good, disciplined, professional performance tonight.”

After falling heavily on the road against Saint Louis FC last weekend, it appeared imperative for the Roughnecks to get out to a positive start on Friday night. Instead, the Galaxy II took the lead in just the third minute as Jeffrey Payeras scored after losing his marker at a corner kick, and Jack McBean made it 2-0 midway through the half with a strongly struck free kick.

In searing conditions, though, it appeared the mandatory water break helped pump new life into the Roughnecks, as they appeared much brighter in the final 15 minutes of the first half. Tulsa got back into the game just before the break as Sammy Ochoa was ruled to have been tripped just inside the penalty area, and he converted the ensuing penalty kick low to the right for his seventh goal of the season.

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Then less than five minutes into the second half, the Roughnecks got a piece of good fortune go their way, as Galaxy II goalkeeper Bennett Sneddon made awkward contact as he tried to punch clear a corner kick, which resulted in an own goal.

After a week of soul-searching in the Roughnecks camp, the perseverance and fight the side showed was pleasing to Ochoa.

“Two mistakes, but we got back into the game, we got a point and we’ll take the point any day,” Ochoa said. “During the week, we trained, we talked, we said we’re going to fight. We let two goals in early, but we fought back. It was a good team effort, so it shows we’re all on the same page. So hopefully, we go from here.”

Both sides could have claimed victory on the night, and the Roughnecks were left with a heart-stopping moment in stoppage time when they conceded a free kick centrally just outside the penalty area. USL leading scorer McBean’s shot went just high and wide of the top-right corner, though, as Los Dos missed out on the chance to grab all three points.

“[It’s] a step in the right direction,” Irving said. “And hopefully that will give us confidence. Playing against the Galaxy, they’re one of the best teams in the league. It was a little nervy at the end, when you say, ‘Well they’ve got a free kick at the edge of the box, let’s hope he misses the goal,’ and he did, so we had a little bit of Lady Luck tonight that put us in the right direction.”