Ronald Donkor's 89th-Minute Winner Ends Red Bulls' Six-Match Winless Run in 1-0 Win at Columbus

Three road games in eight days, two shots off the crossbar, and 88 minutes of nothing. Then Ronald Donkor found a gap in the traffic, and Red Bull New York finally had something to show for a brutal week.

Donkor's right-footed shot from the middle of the box in the 89th minute beat Patrick Schulte to the bottom right corner, and Red Bull New York beat the Columbus Crew 1-0 on Saturday night at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. The goal snapped the Red Bulls' six-match winless streak and handed the Crew a second straight loss this week.

Bars, Blocks and a Lot of Near Misses

This one started with a jolt. In the third minute, Santiago Rodríguez smacked a right-footed shot off the crossbar from the middle of the box, and moments later, off a Tapia headed pass, Ethan Horvath stopped his second attempt. Columbus kept coming in the opening half hour. Gonzalo Tapia headed over in the 13th minute and had another effort blocked in the 21st.

The Red Bulls answered in spurts. Jorge Ruvalcaba forced Schulte into a save from distance in the 26th minute, and in the 31st, Cameron Harper ran onto a Dylan Nealis ball and hit the bar from a tight angle on the right. Tim Parker headed a set piece wide three minutes later. Tapia had the last chance of the half in stoppage time, heading over from close range.

The second half was more of the same chess match. Horvath saved a Tapia header in the 54th minute and got down to a Brais Méndez drive from outside the box in the 61st. André Gomes tried his luck from more than 35 yards and missed just wide in the 65th.

Then Red Bull New York changed the game from the bench. Devin Padelford and Cade Cowell came on in the 66th minute, and within a minute Cowell had served Harper a cross on the break that Harper pushed just wide from the right side of the six-yard box. Julian Hall forced a save in the 72nd, Julián Bazán missed narrowly in the 73rd, and Cowell tested Schulte twice, from outside the box in the 76th minute and from a tight angle on the left in the 82nd. The cards started piling up too: Donkor, Rodríguez and Mohammed Sofo were all booked in a five-minute stretch.

Columbus brought on Josef Martínez, Taha Habroune, Dylan Chambost and Jamal Thiaré to try to win it. Sean Zawadzki had a shot from the left side of the six-yard box blocked in the 86th minute. Three minutes later, the Red Bulls went the other way and won it. Nealis sent Harper racing toward the byline, Harper pulled it back for Donkor, and Donkor's shot threaded through bodies into the bottom right corner. Martínez headed wide in stoppage time, and that was the Crew's last real look.

Donkor's Moment, Horvath's Clean Sheet

Donkor took one shot all night and made it count. It was his second goal of the season, per the club and the AP, and the AP added that he had not scored in his first 40 appearances. He also committed three fouls and took a yellow card in the 69th minute, which is about right for a midfielder who spent most of the night doing the dirty work before he got the glory.

Harper was the Red Bulls' most dangerous attacker. Three shots, one off the bar, one near miss from point-blank range, and the assist on the winner. The club and the AP also credited Nealis with an assist on the goal, though ESPN's data lists Harper alone.

Horvath made three saves for his third clean sheet of the season, according to the club. Cowell was the spark off the bench, with three shots and two on target in about half an hour.

For Columbus, Schulte made four saves and did everything he could. Tapia took four shots but put only one on target.

Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley knew what the trip had cost his group.

"They spilled their guts on the field, so we are very proud of them," Bradley said. "It is a long trip, it is as challenging a week as you can have in this league."

The 66th-Minute Switch

Before Padelford and Cowell came on, the Red Bulls had six shots. After the double change, they took nine more, including the winner. The fresh legs stretched a Columbus side that had controlled the ball for long stretches, and the Crew never found a way to match that late energy.

Stats That Matter

• Possession: Columbus 58.8 percent, Red Bull New York 41.2 percent.
• Shots: Red Bull New York 15 (5 on target), Columbus 12 (4 on target).
• Saves: Schulte made 4, Horvath made 3.
• Crosses: Columbus attempted 28 and completed 8.
• Clearances: Red Bull New York 27, Columbus 11.

A Weight Lifted in New York, More Frustration in Columbus

Red Bull New York moved to 8-6-11 with 30 points, and the AP noted the Red Bulls began the day 12th in the East. This was their first win since a 3-2 victory over Orlando City on Aug. 1, and it made the Red Bulls two-for-two against Columbus this season after a 3-2 home win in May. Next up is a trip to face New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Friday, Sept. 18.

The Crew fell to 6-5-14 with 23 points and have one win in eight league matches since the start of August. They also lost 2-1 at D.C. United on Wednesday. Interim head coach Laurent Courtois tried to keep the focus forward.

"Tonight is just painful to lose that way, but tomorrow they'll be brand new," Courtois said.

They had better be. Columbus hosts Orlando City SC on Wednesday in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal, the club's first semifinal appearance since 2010, according to the Crew.

The Boss Fight

The Red Bulls' week played out like a brutal video game boss fight: lose, lose, draw, lose, draw, lose, then finally clear the level on the last life. Bradley, for one, was not interested in excuses.

"Not everything has gone our way, but there is no reward for feeling sorry for yourself," he said.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by Red Bull New York (newyorkredbulls.com) and the Columbus Crew (columbuscrew.com); additional notes from the AP recap via ESPN.