Fury Claim Top Spot in NASL with 3-1 Win over RailHawks
September 26, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release
CARY, NC (September 26, 2015) - It has been dominant second half play that has won Fury FC their previous two road match, but it was a near perfect opening 45 minutes that ensured Ottawa's sweep of this three-game road trip as they down the Carolina RailHawks 3-1. Tom Heinemann scored his team leading 6th and 7th goals of the season fourteen minutes apart and Paulo Junior tallied his third in two matches in first half stoppage time to pace Ottawa to a three-goal advantage at halftime. Nacho Novo converted a penalty early in the second half, but Ottawa's sound defensive game took over as the second-year club claims top spot in the NASL Combined Standings over the New York Cosmos and remain five-point ahead of Minnesota United in the race for the Fall Season Championship.
"We started the game with a lot of determination; exploiting Carolina's weaknesses and totally deserved to be up at halftime," said head coach Marc Dos Santos following the match. "In the second half we were under pressure, but kept composed and organized."
"What this group of players has done in this trip is absolutely fantastic! I can't say enough about how proud I am of the guys," a very proud Dos Santos added.
Playing their third match in eight days, Fury FC closed out their three game road trip in North Carolina against a RailHawks teams that were in desperate need of a victory to keep their fading postseason hopes alive. It was a cautious opening fifteen minutes before the game slowly started to open up. While it has been their impressive second half play of recent that has won them matches, Fury FC changed it up Saturday night at WakeMed Soccer Park with a dominant opening half. Tom Heinemann bullied his way through the Carolina defence in the 19th minutes and slotted the ball past Akira Fitzgerald to opening the scoring against his former club.
The game returned to its calculated pace after the goal, but the RailHawks were not able to do much with their possession despite holding the edge in possession with 55% in the opening half. Fury FC, however, had clear purpose to their possession in the opening half in the 33rd minute Heinemann was sprung in behind the RailHawks defence and rifled a shot into the top corner past a helpless Fitzgerald to spot the visitors a two-goal lead on his team-leading 7th goal of the season.
Heinemann's second goal eclipsed his total of six from last season and ties a club record for most goals in a season (Oliver scored 7 in 2014).
Ottawa continued to threaten with opportunity as Heinemann, Paulo Junior and Oliver proved a dangerous three-headed attack. In first half stoppage time, Paulo Junior received a perfect pass from Ubiparipovic, eluded three players and rocketed his third goal in two games in at the back post giving Ottawa a 3-0 halftime lead.
It was a perfect start to the second half for the home side. Plenty of early pressure that would result in a penalty shot after Rangers legend Nacho Novo got tangled up with Colin Falvey annd went to ground. The veteran strike beat Peiser for his 9th goal of the season to give the RailHawks life.
Paulo Junior look to have restored the three goal lead almost instantly, but his goal was ruled offside by the tightest of margins.
Carolina would boast the lions share of possession in the second half and would finish the match with 71% of the possession, but Novo's marker would be the only ball to beat Peiser on the night who again proved a calm influence between the pipes for Fury FC.
Colin Falvey blocked a goal-bound shot from Gabriel Da Silva and had some timely late tackles affirming himself as one of the top centre backs in the league partnered with another in Rafael Alves who was composed as ever on defence.
Ottawa are now an impressive 12W-2D-0L when scoring the first goal of the match and Saturday night's victory marks the first time that Fury FC have won at WakeMed Soccer Park.
The win ties and NASL record for consecutive road wins, now at 6, and extends Ottawa's current NASL-record road unbeaten streak to 9-matches (6W-3D-0L). While their 14-point lead over 5th place Fort Lauderdale all but assures them a spot in the post-season, they officially need 5 points to claim it outright.
Fury FC return to TD Place to prepare for another chapter in the All-Canadian derby facing FC Edmonton October 4th at 3pm. Tickets to this match and the final home match of the regular season (October 18) are available at OttawaFuryFC.com.
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North American Soccer League Stories from September 26, 2015
- Ottawa, Minnesota Notch Emphatic Road Wins to Headline Week 13 Results - NASL
- Chaotic Closing Splits Points Between Silverbacks, Scorpions - Atlanta Silverbacks
- Fury Claim Top Spot in NASL with 3-1 Win over RailHawks - Ottawa Fury FC
- Armada Victorious over Rowdies, 2-0, in Dade's Debut - Jacksonville Armada FC
- Ottawa Fury FC Earns First Win at WakeMed Soccer Park, Beat RailHawks 3-1 - North Carolina FC
- Minnesota United Scores Five Straight Goals to Defeat Strikers - Minnesota United FC
- Strikers Fall to Minnesota - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Playoff Push Takes Center Stage in San Antonio Tonight - Atlanta Silverbacks
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