SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio FC Head Coach Darren Powell gave credit to OKC Energy FC on Friday night after the visitors’ late goal grabbed a point in a 1-1 draw in front of a sellout crowd of 8,131 at Toyota Field in the USL Game of the Week on ESPNU.

“Fair play to OKC tonight,” said Powell. “They set themselves up differently than they have in previous games. The first half was tight and they were hard for us to break down. The second half we opened them up and got the goal. You always leave yourself vulnerable at 1-0, and it can go either way at any moment. Goals change games. Now we’ve earned the point, which is important in this league, and now we keep moving forward.”

San Antonio looked on the way to earning victory when it took the lead seven minutes into the second half. Moments after a good counterattack had produced a chance for Kris Tyrpak at the edge of the penalty area that the midfield skied well over the crossbar, another opportunity arrived after an OKC attack broke down.

A precise clearance from goalkeeper Diego Restrepo down the right picked out Devin Vega for a two-on-two opportunity. The young winger played the opportunity well, cutting infield as A.J. Ajeakwa pulled his man toward the right side of the penalty area, allowing Billy Forbes to arrive behind him in space. When Vega’s pass arrived, Forbes put home a composed finish over advancing Energy FC goalkeeper Cody Laurendi.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Vega of his assist. “Obviously, we didn’t get all the points, but we’ll take the point for now. Everybody did their job, and we got unlucky with their goal in the 90th minute. That’s the one goal you don’t want, especially when in the next minute nothing goes in. But now we’re moving forward.”

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But with pressure on OKC to try and take something from the to boost their playoff hopes, Energy FC’s persistence in attack paid off late. After missing out on a golden opportunity from the penalty spot when Coady Andrews hit the crossbar after a handball had been called on former OKC defender Cyprian Heddrick, with the call being made through use of the Video Assistant Referee system, OKC grabbed a goal at the death.

Miguel Gonzalez’s finish came after a wild sequence in the penalty area that saw Luis Martinez first have a header well denied before Hedrick hit his own crossbar trying to clear the rebound away. Gonzalez was in the right place to take advantage of the carom, hooking home a volley to send the visitors home with a point.

“When you’re up 1-0 and [get scored on with] seconds left, sometimes that’s what happens in football,” said Powell. “It leaves you to a vulnerable place and they took advantage of it.”

The late goal sent another sellout crowd, which surpassed the attendance for SAFC’s international exhibition against Santos Laguna last Saturday, home likely a little disappointed. Vega paid tribute to the fans after the game, and with another massive game coming up next Saturday is hopeful of more of the same from the stands as Western Conference-leader Real Monarchs SLC comes to visit.

“Every game they’re supportive and they have our backs no matter what,” said Vega. “We tie, we lose, we win, and they have our backs. It’s good to have their support every game. They’re great.”

With a seven-point gap to close on the Monarchs, SAFC is ready to quickly move on and refocus.

“Things like that happen, you know,” said Forbes. “You have to learn from it and move forward. You can’t dwell on it now, on to the next one.”