By Phil Murphy
Content Editor, DigitalSports**Full highlights are posted. Re-live the entire game in 16 minutes below.**It was only after previously unbeaten Westfield had claimed a two-goal lead against Concorde District rival Herndon that it started seeing red.
First, it was from the plastic, penalty card of the official. Then, it was the red of the No. 8 jersey of Hornets senior midfielder
Anatole Doak.
Doak scored in the 73rd and 76th minute to provide the game-tying and game-winning goals after Westfield was reduced to 10 men in Herndon's come-from-behind, 3-2, road victory on Wednesday.
"We started to get frustrated," said Doak of what was the first game back after an 11-day layoff for both teams. "We had hit the post or the crossbar and had one cleared off the line. We knew it was just a matter of time before the first one would come. Once we got that first one, we thought this was our game – our time.
"Fortunately, I was in the right place at the right time with the first one. And for the second one, it came and all I really concentrated on was hitting the ball on target. And luckily, it got past the keeper."
Just minutes before half time, the Bulldogs looked as if they would cruise to a home win over possibly the most potent offense in the Northern Region. However, as senior
A.J. Sheta placed a left-footed shot beyond the outstretched left hand of Hornets sophomore keeper
Alex Stopa for a 2-0 lead, that all changed.
Sheta ran towards the home sideline and ripped off his shirt in celebration. His teammates joined him as he held the balled-up jersey over his head and shook his hands towards the Westfield student section.
But the official felt the celebration was excessive and gave Sheta a hard red card for taunting, ejecting Sheta and dropping the Bulldogs permanently to 10 men in just the 34th minute of play.**
"[The official] called it taunting," said Westfield Coach
Tom Torres, whose team defeated Washington-Lee on March 13, 1-0, after going down a man. "We looked it up the rulebook and it said it was yellow card offense. But he makes his decision and he sticks by his decision and we have to live with that decision."
Added Herndon Coach
Sean Lanigan: "It's an automatic red. That was told that in coaches' meeting the first week that the season started. A.J. is a flashy player, but it was a mental mistake on his part. A great player made a mental mistake."
Herndon held the possession advantage for the majority of the second half, taking full advantage of their 46-minute power play. In the second half, the Hornets out shot the Bulldogs 13-2 and held an 8-0 advantage in corner kicks. The only Westfield shot-on-goal was from a
Kyle Guthrie penalty kick that Stopa turned away to keep the game within reach.
"It was unfortunate," Torres said. Sheta's ejection "changed the game, no doubt. I think anybody that was watching knew the game was going our way and, unfortunately, you have to really battle it out.
"No one thinks you're going to win a game when you're down to 10 men, but we did. And we almost went up 3-0 ... If it goes 3-0, I think they give up."
Hornets striker -- and former Bulldog --
Sean Murnane provided the first sign of life for the visitors, a left-footed strike from a steep angle off the end line that found the net in the 64th minute.
The short-handed Bulldogs, anchored by senior goalkeeper
Tony Nosal's five second-half saves, effectively preserved the 2-1 advantage until the Hornets seventh second-half corner in the 73rd minute.
The in-swinging kick ricocheted towards goal and rattled out of Nosal's grasp and into a swarm of Hornets nested along the goal line.
Doak was the first to act, jabbing the ball into the back netting and sprinting with jubilation towards the away bleachers.
"For me, my heart was racing," said Lanigan, who altered his formation after Sheta's ejection to add a third attacker. "I was composed, but I'm proud of these guys. They deserved it. They've been looking forward to this game all season."
Just three minutes and one scoring chance later, the Hornets would claim the unlikely victory. Off a dead ball, a short cross was played to Doak at the top of the penalty area. The senior turned, took a touch towards goal, and tucked the game-winner inside the left post.
"It was incredible," said Doak, who was swarmed by his teammates after both goals. "There really are no words to describe that feeling. I was ecstatic. I just wanted to get a win for our team. I thought we deserved it. We played great in the second half.
"Just to get the win was the best."
**The hard-red card has seen been reduced to a soft-red. Officials later ruled the celebration to be "excessive," but not "taunting." Therefore, Sheta will not face the one-game suspension mandated with a hard-red card and will be eligible May 2 at Fairfax.E-mail: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
Herndon 0 3 3Westfield 2 0 2Goals:WF- Dupont (20)
WF- Sheta (34)
HN- Murnane (64)
HN- Doak (73)
HN- Doak (76)