A golden opportunity to climb the table in the 1st Division eluded the Byki Red Team last Sunday when a very late goal deep into stoppage time allowed NK Prijedor to escape with a narrow 2:1 win. The defeat snaps the Byki unbeaten run at six matches, giving them 14 points from 9 matches, good for sixth place and the final qualification slot for the Championship Section.

But the day could have provided the Byki with so much more and the frustration was evident on the players’ faces after the final whistle. Prijedor was forced to field a back four of old-timers because of absent players and the Byki were unable to take advantage. The Byki created plenty of chances, but their finishing was substandard.

The other part of the frustration for the Byki was the inexplicable behavior of the referee, who sent off Ivan Torossian just before halftime. Having to play with 10 men the rest of the way altered coach Joe Gambino’s tactics and indirectly relieved some of the pressure that the Byki were placing on the Prijedor defense.

Following their comprehensive 3:0 demolition of Lemont the previous week, the Byki were confident that they didn’t need to fear anyone in the highly competitive 1st Division. Perhaps that confidence grew to excess and prevented the Byki from doing the business versus Prijedor.

Prijedor played a smart, counterattacking game. With only one substitute and a geriatric back line, playing for the counter was the only way to go. To their credit, they executed their game plan, despite the fatigue they felt from the hot conditions.

Prijedor broke out on top in the 21st minute. A slick pass into the right-wing channel allowed a cross to the far side of the box. A Prijedor striker hit a powerful volley into the back of the net. Prijedor had hardly ventured forward during the early part of the game, yet took full advantage when the opportunity presented itself.

Grabbing the lead was the perfect start for Prijedor, who rarely sent more than four players forward for the rest of the contest. They nearly went 2:0 up on the half-hour when a long pass went behind the Byki defense, leading to a breakaway. The Prijedor striker, however, shot early and Gambino made the save look easy.

The Byki leveled the affair in the 38th minute on a corner kick. It couldn’t have been more simple. Luis Arredondo sent a cross to the far post for Torossian, who outjumped his marker and headed the ball home.

Things got out of whack just moments later. After Abrahan Ruiz had received a nasty elbow to the head, the Byki complained bitterly to the referee, who said that the blow was unintentional. That explanation didn’t sit too well with some Byki, who continued the discussion with the arbiter. Suddenly, the referee flashed a yellow card, followed by a red card, and sent Torossian from the field.

Torossian, who wasn’t even speaking to the referee, was bewildered by the incident. “I told my teammates not to talk to the referee,” said Torossian. “We could report the [the situation] to the league.” Incredibly, the referee construed Torossian’s words to be a threat and gave him his marching papers. “This is a case of a referee who is too sensitive, or simply doesn’t understand the language very well,” said Byki President George Gorecki. “If he felt threatened, that’s tantamount to a referee attack. Yet, he wimped out by officially noting that Ivan got two yellow cards and failed to write any kind of report about what happened.” Gorecki filed an inquiry to the NSL office the next day to ask for an investigation of the referee’s behavior.

The entire scenario left many players unnerved, but midfielder Matt Domek kept reminding everyone during the halftime break that the situation could not be undone, and that it was important to focus on the remaining 45 minutes.

The Byki certainly had the better of play in the second half, but Prijedor found the winning goal somehow. The Byki created several good chances to score, none better than Ruiz’ header in the 63rd minute. Gabi Dziekiewicz served up a tantalizing cross from the right side and Ruiz pushed his header just wide of the mark.

As the match wore on, a draw looked imminent and would have been a result that would have satisfied both teams as they sought a spot in the top six in the table. Gambino told his players to be mindful of their defensive responsibilities at the end, but their desire to seek the winning goal led to a fatal reversal of fortune. Prijedor hoofed the ball out of the back, looking for their lone striker, now running on fumes. The Byki defense was pushed too far forward and the striker found one last burst and came in alone on Gambino. Seeing Gambino rush off his line, the Prijedor player measured his shot and hit paydirt in the third minute of stoppage time.

The Byki still have everything to play for, despite the disappointing outcome. Four points in the next two matches will clinch a top-six spot, and at that point, anything is possible.

BYKI LINEUP
(4-4-2): Gambino – Taylor, Mansur, P Jr, Rose, Casey (c) – Domek, Samp, Boghicev, Arredondo – Daniel, Torossian. Bench: Dziekiewicz, Huell, Onaissi, Ruiz.

BYKI SCORING SUMMARY
Torossian 3 (Arredondo); 38th; 1:1.