FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – The Carolina RailHawks suffered a 1-0 loss to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Lockhart Stadium on Saturday.
The loss allowed the Strikers to narrow the gap with the RailHawks in the race to claim the fourth spot in the NASL Combined Standings toward Championship Weekend.
“Obviously, we are disappointed that we didn’t we didn’t get the three points tonight,” RailHawks head coach Colin Clarke said.
“Now we need to go back and get ready for our game next week in Edmonton. There are a lot of games and a lot of points left to play for. It’s probably going to come down to the last weekend. We’re disappointed we didn’t get any points this game, but Fort Lauderdale deserved to win it.”
It took a brilliant save from RailHawks goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald to keep the Strikers from scoring in the first half, after the referee awarded a penalty kick in the 22nd minute.
The RailHawks were unable to build any momentum off Fitzgerald’s save, and a subsequent second-half goal in the 59th minute was enough for the home team to claim all three points from the match.
Despite the loss, its first in five games, Carolina remained in fourth place (10W-3T-10L, 33pts), still sitting ahead of Fort Lauderdale by two points.
The RailHawks return home to prepare to take on FC Edmonton in Alberta next Sunday.
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BOX SCORE
LINEUPS:
CAR: Fitzgerald; Tobin, Scott, Watson-Siriboe, Bentick (Barrera, 88); Osaki (Da Luz, 59), Davison (C); Shipalane, Albadawi, Martinez (Novo, 72); Sandoval
FTL: Contofalsky; Guillaume, Alves (Chavez, 79), Antonijevic, Guerrero (C); Pecka, Marcelin; King, Anderson (Nurse, 87), Nuñez (Chin, 67); Picault
GOALS: CAR: –; FTL: Anderson – 59′
CAUTIONS: CAR: Devon Sandoval – 22′; Daniel Scott (caution) – 27’; Uriah Bentick – 87’; FTL: Guerrero – 90+
EJECTIONS: CAR: –; FTL: —
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