It’s a little late in the season for a prisoners’ dilemma-esque draw, but it happens nonetheless.

Although both teams’ postseason fates have already been decided, York and Pacific were each playing for position as the sun set on kick-off at York Lions Stadium. In a classic tale of two halves, Marco Bustos and Alejandro Díaz scored in a bright first for Pacific, while Shaan Hundal and Luca Accettola struck back in the second for York.

The point for either team served neither of them best, with both teams looking to catch up, or pass, teams above them. Fourth-placed York could have placed themselves in as best a position possible, if third-place Cavalry were to drop points. Pacific, meanwhile, were looking to avoid a potential Wooden Spoon fate with fellow SixFive-owned Vancouver FC just three points behind to start week 27.

It was an especially shaky start for the hosts, as Pacific caught the loose ends of a wayward ball in the 16th minute. York goalkeeper Diego Urtiaga over-ran a ball that deflected off his own defender. Aidan Daniels nearly profited, sending his shot from 20 yards over an empty goal.

Five minutes later, Marco Bustos would finally cash in a long-awaited first goal of the season. Aidan Daniels would get his number called this time, finding Pacific’s captain on the day alone at the back post. Bustos would have time to settle the ball with an outside-of-the-boot touch before picking out the gap between a diving Urtiaga and Elijah Adekugbe.

It would further worsen for the Nine Stripes in the 34th minute after Yann Toualy was tripped on a one-on-two situation inside the edge of York’s 18-yard box. Alejandro Díaz would dispatch his seventh of the season comfortably into the bottom left corner.

Pacific, turning the table and their season’s odds on their head, would top York on shots in the first half, nine to five. Making do of their two big chances, the visitors showed a level of clinicality that has been inconsistent all season. The Tridents have tallied just 29 goals this season over 27 matches, the fewest in the Canadian Premier League this season.

It wouldn’t last, however.

Disappointed by their first half — and their second, post-match — Mauro Eustáquio’s side were noticeably late coming out of the tunnel for the second half.

Despite finishing the second half with all but a few statistical categories in their favour, the York head coach commented that he “didn’t think [they] played well today, both in the first half and the second half. I don’t think it was a good game from our [end]. I [think] the difference from one half to the other [was] we showed a little bit of passion and a lot more aggression."

Shaan Hundal pulled one back in the 74th minute. Calling back to their pre-game warm-ups, which included a lot of long ball passing drills, Luke Singh picked out Hundal on the shoulder of the last Pacific defender. The 26-year-old would find a touch to rival Bustos’ first-half effort, tapping the ball around and past Sean Melvin.

A couple of late set-piece opportunities came and went as four of six minutes elapsed in stoppage time. Then, the heartbreak moment for Pacific, as they conceded in the 94th minute for the second time in two weeks. Gabriel Bitar, who entered around Hundal’s marker, slipped one through an impossible gap to find Luca Accettola in the match’s final stanza.

For Pacific, the point is their first east of the Fraser River this season. In game 27. And yet, in a result where they were value for at least one, it’s a stinger to have not come away with three after their two-goal first-half performance. They’ll go again next week in their season finale, a home affair against sixth-placed Valour, who sit within touching distance — and both teams playing for pride and squad roles next season.

Merriman, post-match, noted a “need to finish in sixth place”, and that “players are playing for themselves, their future, and most importantly, the fans”. Merriman added that the team “need to show good attitude and good spirit, and finish the season with a result to give [to the fans].”

York’s one solace from this week is that off the back of the rebound second-half performance, it didn’t end in a loss. With a regular season-ending 905 Derby against Forge on the docket next Saturday playing a potentially crucial role in their final seeding, the Nine Stripes’ backroom staff will hope that the first-half stumble does not turn into a 90-minute fall as they head into the play-offs.