AMSTERDAM – Litex Lovech striker Bjørn Maars Johnsen hopped off the bench to bag a late equalizer under Friday night lights, helping the visitors tentatively nudge into second place with a 1-1 Bulgarian A-PFG share against lowly cellar dwellers Pirin Blagoevgrad.
The American entered the fray with his side down one in the 64th minute. With exactly a quarter hour remaining, Johnsen buried a header from Arsenio's cross to pull the title chasers level. It was his fifth of the league season, good for joint best on the squad, and his seventh across all competitions.
Johnsen then went close to stealing the win for Litex twice in the final eight minutes. After being stopped at point-blank range late in regulation, the target man angled a stoppage time drive just past the post.
Despite the rally, Litex squandered a chance to conditionally take the league summit. With just one victory from their last five league games, the Oranges stand a point shy of leaders Levski Sofia and can still be passed by Monday combatants Ludogorets.
