DAYTON (OH) — Just when things looked bleak, the Flyers performed their best.

Dayton scored an equalizer with two minutes left in regulation, then added the game-winner just 49 seconds into extra time for a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over stubborn and well-coached Gardner-Webb. The early Friday kickoff was part of a doubleheader with the UD women’s soccer team. Dayton improves to 5-1, while G-W remains winless at 0-5.

Let’s get this out of the way first: Gardner-Webb is much better than their record indicated. Without a win in 2012, the Runnin’ Bulldogs battled Dayton tooth and nail from the opening whistle and never let up through the second half and into overtime. Over 91 minutes of play, the two sides battled fiercely with excellent soccer and were two evenly-matched sides both offensively and defensively.

The first half was as competitive as fans could hope for as each team traded possession and opportunities to get forward with pace. Gardner-Webb was especially strong in maintaining possession, and rarely played a loose pass in the offensive or defensive sides of the field. So concerned with controlling possession and pace, they rarely booted free kicks upfield, choosing instead to play it short and work the ball on the ground. They also played with expedience, taking free kicks quickly and forcing the Flyers to remain sharp on their marking assignments.

UD was up to the challenge however and did equally well on offense with well-thought passing and runs into space to help open up the field. The Flyers took a few chance from long-range and elected to rip a few shots from outside the penalty box. Some were easily turned away, while others forced the Runnin’ Bulldogs to come up with a solid defensive play.

Both sides continued to trade blows over the first 45 minutes, but neither team made any real blunders to open up the field and allow the other team to punch a cheap goal into the net. In the back line, UD was organized and purposeful in their touches. In the midfield, UD had their thinking caps on and tried to make plays with nifty dinks and one-touch passing. Sometimes it didn’t work, but they were usually attempting the right idea.

Neither side cashed in however in spite of the excellent soccer and equally solid work rate. Halftime score was 0-0 with UD owning a 13-6 advantage in shots and 3-1 lead in corner kicks.

As competitive as the first half was, the second 45 minutes began where the first frame left off. Each team had moments of momentary brilliance, only to be doused by excellent defending and discipline in the defensive third of the field. Loose-ball challenges were fought for exceedingly hard by both teams. UD and G-W had their moments where the match seemed to favor one side of the other. Probing balls and well-thought overlaps helped make for entertaining soccer. It was a second half of clean play where execution was very high — despite the lack of finishing near the box.

Freshman UD goalkeeper Chris Froschauer was timely with a couple impressive diving saves to keep the match scoreless. The Flyers had their own chances in the box, including a flurry by senior Daniel Berko after coming off the bench. His speed and persistence once again helped UD create some mismatches up top, forcing Gardner-Webb to come up with something aggressive to slow him down.

As the match entered the final 10 minutes of regulation, it felt like the first goal would win the game. If there was a crack in Dayton’s play, it appeared to be fitness. UD began to tire and left passes short or completely off target in the midfield, allowing Gardner-Webb to capitalize by countering with a numbers advantage. G-W clearly had fresher legs.

Their consistent pressure paid off. G-W scored on a right-side blast from 12 yards out with just six minutes remaining to take the 1-0 lead. Things weren’t looking good for the Flyers, but they weren’t dead yet.

Dayton pushed forward and made a couple substitutions to get more scoring punch and size in the box. They also sped up their overall play and put balls in the box in an attempt to tie the match. After winning a corner kick with under two minutes remaining, UD knocked in a scrum in the G-W box from inside the six yard line to score the equalizer and level the match at 1-1. Berko was credited with the tally and suddenly the Flyers had a second lease on life.

UD wasted no time taking advantage of the extended play as Abe Keller knocked a ball over the G-W goal line in the first minute of overtime to win the game 2-1. The ball was cleared off the line by the Bulldog defense, but had clearly crossed the imaginary plane of the goal — confirmed by the side referee.

Berko and junior Andres Acevedo both came off the bench and gave the Flyers a big lift in their speed of play and consistent hustle. Many times they ran down balls and won possession by doing nothing more than putting in a higher work rate than their opponent. Froschauer was rock-solid in goal once again and his defense did well all evening.

Match stats favored UD in shots 28-15 and corner kicks 8-3. As the stats suggest, it was an offensive slugfest, but defensive play was no less commendable. Gardner-Webb played an extremely solid match and demonstrated lots of excellent tactics, skill, and teamwork over 91 minutes. The result might appear as if Dayton salvaged a win against a very poor opponent — and to the fans not in attendance that’s probably what they’ll conclude. G-W’s overall record is an injustice to their level of play on Friday however. UD beat an 0-5 team that played like a squad that should be .500 or better.

UD takes on IPFW on Sunday afternoon at Baujan Field.