Pacific FC shocked Halifax Wanderers with a last-minute equalizer in the Maritimes on Wednesday night, as the 10-men hosts had to settle for a 2-2 draw with the Tridents in a thrilling midweek encounter.

With both sides coming off emphatic wins over the weekend, neither manager made many changes. Halifax brought Dan Nimick back into the side after serving a suspension, while Pacific’s only change was adding Cédric Toussaint back to their midfield.

Giorgio Probo came close to opening the scoring in the 13th minute, as an excellent passing move between him and Massimo Ferrin sent Probo into the penalty area; his attempt from a difficult angle got past Emil Gazdov but just trickled wide of the far post. After another handful of Wanderers chances in the next few minutes, Pacific found one of their own just before the 20th; Christian Greco-Taylor came barreling into the penalty area with speed, but Yann Fillion was able to hold onto the shot.

Around the half-hour mark, things took an unfortunate turn for the home side. Dan Nimick got caught in a challenge with Dario Zanatta, making contact from behind in a move the referee judged to be worthy of Nimick’s second yellow card. So, the Halifax centre-back found himself sent off in the first half again, after suffering the same fate against Pacific just over two weeks ago.

With one of his defenders thus ejected, Halifax boss Patrice Gheisar had no choice but to sacrifice Sean Rea, who had been one of his liveliest attackers so far, in order to bring on Jefferson Alphonse in the backline.

The 10-men Wanderers continued launching attack after attack at Pacific in the second half, and finally on the hour mark they had a breakthrough. Ryan Telfer danced through traffic in toward the box, and although he was tackled the ball bounced out to the corner of the box where Massimo Ferrin, in space, smashed the ball on the volley, as it hit the underside of the crossbar and dropped into the goal with one of the best strikes in the CPL this season.

Halifax’s lead didn’t last long, though. Pacific’s Steffen Yeates hit a shot from the top of the box that Fillion stopped with his forearms, but the ball spilled in front of him and Moses Dyer arrived quickly to score the loose ball and equalize.

After a quieter 10 minutes after the two goals, the Wanderers reclaimed the lead with 10 minutes to play. They won a free kick near the touchline just inside the attacking third, and Lorenzo Callegari delivered a perfect ball to the head of an unmarked Nassim Mekideche, who nodded it in to restore a one-goal lead for the hosts.

Pacific rained a storm of attacks on Halifax in the final 10 minutes, and were it not for a few timely defensive interventions and one excellent Fillion save on Adonijah Reid, they might have found their equalizer earlier.

With almost the final action of the game though, in the seventh minute of stoppage time, the ball finally fell for them in a chaotic scramble in the box. Thomas Meilleur-Giguère managed to put his foot through it from amid the fray, and found the back of the net to snatch a point at the death for Pacific.

The extra point could prove crucial for Pacific, as it moves them ahead of Vancouver FC and into fifth place — with just a one-point cushion.

BOX SCORE

Lineups 

Halifax Wanderers: Fillion; Bayiha, Nimick, Mekideche, Fernandez; Callegari, Rampersad; Rea (Alphonse 37′), Probo (Gagnon-Laparé 70′), Ferrin; Telfer (Coimbra 85′)

Pacific FC: Gazdov; Dada-Luke, Meilleur-Giguère, Ceceri, Greco-Taylor; Young, Dominguez (Moore 62′), Toussaint (Reid 70′); Tircoveanu (Yeates 62′); Dyer, Zanatta (Lamothe 76′)

Goals

60′ — Massimo Ferrin (Halifax Wanderers)
67′ — Moses Dyer (Pacific FC)
79′ — Nassim Mekideche (Halifax Wanderers)
90+7′ — Thomas Meilleur-Giguère (Pacific FC)

Discipline

11′ — Yellow: Thomas Meilleur-Giguère (Pacific FC)
20′ — Yellow: Dan Nimick (Halifax Wanderers)
31′ — 2nd Yellow: Dan Nimick (Halifax Wanderers)
64′ — Yellow: Giorgio Probo (Halifax Wanderers)
90′ — Yellow: Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (Halifax Wanderers)