RailHawks beat Indy Eleven 1-0

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network
Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. The Carolina RailHawks claimed a 1-0 victory over the Indy Eleven in front of a sellout crowd of 10,285 at Michael A. Carroll Stadium on Saturday.

Midfielder Nazmi Albadawi scored his third goal of the season in the 53rd minute which was enough to earn Carolina its third consecutive win, and another valuable three points in the NASL Combined Standings.

“It was a very important win for us,” RailHawks head coach Colin Clarke said.

“We had great concentration and were good in the final third. We opened them up a little bit in the first half with good opportunities to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper. After all that, I’m delighted to get the three points and a clean sheet. I couldn’t be happier.”

The win was Carolina’s first of the season over Indy, and followed on the heels of an explosive 5-4 home victory against the 2013 Soccer Bowl Champions, the New York Cosmos a week earlier.

The RailHawks, now undefeated in their last four games, maintain sole possession of fourth place (10W-3T-9L, 33pts), and will work to hold on to it in order to earn a spot in The Championship semifinals.

Carolina will travel next to Fort Lauderdale to take on the Strikers this coming Saturday in the two teams’ second meeting of the season – the first of which the RailHawks won 4-1 back in April.

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

CAR: GK: Fitzgerald, D: Low, Tobin, Scott, Graye (Watson-Siriboe, 40th); M: Shipalane, Marques-Davidson, Osaki (da Luz, 84th),Martinez, Albadawi; F: Jackson (Novo, 65th)
IND: GK: Nicht; D: Frias, Miller, Norales, Franco; M: Hyland (Johnson, 59th), Kleberson (Mares, 81st), Pena, Pineda; F: Ambersley, Jhulliam (Smart, 67th)

GOALS: CAR: Albadawi (Martinez) – 53rd ; IND:  —

CAUTIONS: CAR: Martinez (56th); Low (59th); IND: Smart (90th)

EJECTIONS: CAR: –; IND: —